No Giving Up
by Yuurei96
Summary: In this story, Serah is not crystallized and she joins Lightning and the rest of the group in their quest to slay Barthandelus. Set at Gran Pulse. Mostly sistery stuff between Serah and Lightning.
1. Chapter 1

It's been a while since we arrived at Gran Pulse. Various bloodthirsty monsters have blocked our path, but we manage to survive this long. For me, it's a personal achievement, knowing that I'm the weakest in the group… I'm not as strong as Fang or Snow, and my magical powers aren't as powerful as Hope's or Vanille's. The only reason I survived this long was because I have people I can count on. Especially Lightning. She is always there for me. Whenever a monster senses my weakness and charges at me, she is always ready to interfere and saves me from the monster's gnashing teeth. I always do feel bad for my weakness, so I trained hard. Now my magic had become more powerful and I specialize myself on medic. It feels good to heal the others whenever they get hurt. Not that I'm getting used to the sight of blood though. I still wince whenever I see blood gushing out from a wound. But I guess I must bear with it since the monsters are getting stronger and we often get hurt. The medics, me, Hope and Vanille, had to remain vigilant and hasty during fights so that we can heal the others. For a while, things had seemed to be under control.

However, Lady Luck wasn't on our side… Again. Fang had told us about a Pulse fal'Cie who controls life's circle in Gran Pulse, Titan. She said he often pits monsters against each other in tournament-styled battles in order to see who is the strongest. Of course, after hearing this, Snow got all excited and suggested that we all go to visit this Titan and see if we can defeat his monsters of choice. The others agreed that it would be a good training method, so off we went to the Faultwarrens, Titan's dwelling. At first the monsters seemed okay, but then this Ci'eth called Attacus got thrown at us. He was anything but okay. Hope even almost lost his arm! He got distracted, trying to send a healing spell at Sazh and attacking at the same time. Before he knew it, Attacus was already in front of him, bringing his gigantic sword down to cut Hope's extended arm clean off. Luckily Lightning managed to get herself between Hope and Attacus, blocking the attack. I was terrified though, seeing her buckled under the pressure of the giant sword. But she managed to roll away from under the sword and continued attacking, her expression as stoic as ever. Yeah, that's my sister over there. Always calm and quiet. She is like the eye of the mighty hurricane… Calm, but always causing chaos and destruction on her wake. I admire her. Still, I'm always worried about her well-being, just as she does mine.

The next thing that we knew was that we defeated Attacus and Titan himself talked to us. He told us news that almost stopped my heart from beating.

Barthandelus is alive.

Somehow, that cursed fal'Cie managed to come back to life. Titan said Barthandelus has 5 lives. We had killed him twice, once in the Palamecia and once in Oerba. Now he has come back again, even stronger. The only way to kill him fully was to use the power of Ragnarok. But none of us want to be such a cold-blooded monster, right? So we decided to go to the Temple of Lindzei, in the forgotten valley of Haerii on Gran Pulse. Vanille said that a sword bearing the power of Ragnarok was enshrined there a long time ago by Lindzei himself. The reason of why he did that remained a mystery, but one thing for sure: the sword is guarded by mighty monsters that no one has succeeded to leash the sword's power for centuries. And now we are going to face those monsters.

The first part of the journey was fine. We got into the temple, fighting monsters along the way. Sure, they were tough, but nothing extraordinary. Vampires, Behemoths, Ochu and once, an Adamanchelid. They are surely strong, but manageable. Snow got our spirits high by saying that maybe we have become so strong that the temple's guardians do not pose much difficulty to us. I must admit he is good in motivating! But still, Lightning, being serious as always, kept telling us to remain vigilant and ready for anything that may happen. She said things had been too easy, it might be a trap. Fang agreed with her. I couldn't help but thinking they were just being paranoids. How terrible it was that they were actually right.

We had acquired the sword, but as soon as we lifted it from its shrine, the ground shook violently. We ran, Snow bringing the sword, but soon we realized that there were 2 monsters chasing us. Monsters we have never seen before. One looks like a giant bird, the other looks like horse with horn. They chased us, and now here we are, running for our lives.

* * *

><p>"Run, Serah!" I hear Light shouting at me. I see the bird opens its beak and shoots a white beam towards me. Guessing the attack to be magical, I cast Shell around me. The Shell doesn't hold for as long as I expected against the beam, but it gives me enough time to actually run towards Lightning. She grabs my arm and we run together. I feel safe then.<p>

Being with my sister always makes me feel safe, even in the heat of battle.

Snow is running back towards us. "Are you guys ok?" he asked.

"What the hell are you doing here? You are supposed to protect the sword! It's your top priority! Run!"

That's Light, of course. She is never too fond of Snow. I watched as Snow sprinted off, avoiding Lightning's glare.

"Wise choice."

I turn, seeing Sazh running behind us. He winked at me. "We just can't catch a break, can we?" he said, and continued running as the horse comes galloping at us. This situation has begun to resemble a cat-and-mouse chase. Only deadlier.

At the other side of the room, Fang, Vanille and Hope are running feverishly from the bird. It flies faster, though, and the group tried to run faster. Suddenly Vanille stumbled, and the bird, seeing a chance, shoots a white beam at her.

"Look out, 'Nille!"

Fang. Of course. She pushes Vanille aside, and the beam gets her arm. Her arm immediately becomes limp, and Fang stares at it, a surprised look on her face. She pulls Vanille up and continues running, shouting, "Watch out for the bird's beams! It's an energy beam; it saps energy from you!"

"There!" suddenly Lightning shouts. She points at an alcove high on the room's wall, probably for statues. The statue, however, can be seen in a not-so-encouraging position on the floor, 10 meters below its alcove. Looks like the bird has toppled it down, destroying it to pieces.

"Split up, then go up!" Lightning shouts again.

Immediately Sazh separates from us and goes running with Snow. Hope joins them. That leaves team me+Lightning and team Fang+Vanille. Okay.

Unfortunately, the horse has decided to chase after us.

"Damn," Light swears under her breath, and she pushes me to run in front of her. The horse neighed loudly, stomping its hooves and shaking its horny head in rage. I can picture a disturbing image of that horn sticking through my body, so I run faster. The horse catches up with me with ease, its dark blue eyes full of murder. Its teeth are bared, and it rammed its shoulder towards me.

"Help!" I shout.

And Lightning is there. Right in front of me, protecting me. Again. But this time is different. She did not have enough time to block the attack, and the horse's shoulder rammed into her.

"Agh!" I heard her groaned as electric shocks strike her body through the horse's shoulder. _It's a freaking electric horse! _

Lightning is slammed to the ground, and the horse charged at her with its horn ready. Lightning grimaced for a second from the electrocution pain, but manages to raise her gunblade on time to block the horn. Once her blade makes contact with the horn, an electric wave is sent through her body. "Gah!" Lightning shouts again, her blade wavers. I regain my wits at that moment, and cast some Protect spells on her, which repel the horse backwards a few steps. This is enough for Lightning to roll away and stand up, then run towards me and drag me away.

"Are you okay, Light?" I asked her. I feel guilty. My sister has protected me, and all I did mostly was freezing at the spot.

"I'm fine," she says. "The electric wave just caught me by surprise."

She does look fine though. Even her steps aren't wavered. She's Lightning, after all. She is strong, invincible. That's what I believe.

We arrive under the alcove, and Light grabs me into her arms. I know what will come next, so I swing my arms around her neck and hold on to her tightly. I did it on time, right before Light jumps. I see her legs kick the wall once during our jump and the action brings us right into the alcove. Whoa, I'm still not used to jumping with Lightning. Sure, I know I'm safe as long as I'm with her, but still… I still get the vertigo. I don't understand how Lightning can move so fast and executes so many stunts while still keeping her wits.

Sazh, Hope and Snow are already there. Hope, being Lightning's 'subordinate' immediately approaches her, ensuring that she is okay. "You guys alright?" asks Snow.

"Yeah," I answer him, smiling weakly, still a bit winded from the jump.

An explosion brings me back to reality. We hurry to the alcove's rim, and are greeted with a view of Fang and Vanille running from the bird, who seems to just destroyed a pillar with its energy beam. Rabbles fall, providing Fang and Vanille with a distraction. As the bird struggles to fly around the falling rabbles, they run towards our alcove.

Vanille extends the rope on her rod and it finds its way to our alcove, winding around a rock sticking out from the floor. She jumps, Fang holding on to her waist, but the bird is still hot on their tail. It lets out a screech, opening its beak to attack. "Eat this!" I heard Fang shouts angrily and jabs the bird's beak with her lance. Ouch. It screeched in pain, losing control over its wings and drops a few meters down. And so Fang and Vanille shoot towards us. We immediately step back, giving them space to land. Fang lands smoothly, but Snow has to catch Vanille to prevent her from crashing into the alcove's wall.

"Whew!" Fang exhales loudly, grinning, and is followed by Vanille's nervous giggle. Snow laughs, and soon Hope and Sazh are laughing too. I could not resist laughter, so I laugh with them.

"Alright, now that we are alive we must ensure we keep this status with us a while longer."

Lightning is being serious again. Or rather, focused. I know she's right though.

"That bird is not so dangerous," Fang says immediately. "Sure, it's fast, and can kill you with its beak and claws. But other than that, it only has the annoying energy beam that saps your energy little by little. Nothing unmanageable."

"But the horse is dangerous," I say. "It's an electric horse, it can shoot electric beams at will. Its body is protected by a layer of electricity; we can't hurt it with blades. It will simply send electric waves through your blade to your body. It's very strong too, and its horn doesn't make things easier for us." I describe the horse to them. This report dampens the good mood set by Fang's report.

"These monsters… I've never seen them before. They must be the sword's guardians," says Vanille.

"Great," says Hope. "We thought the temple was manageable, and here we are, facing 2 deadly monsters never seen before. Just great."

"Hey, no need to be all negative! They caught us by surprise just now, but we know their secrets already! With a good plan, we can take 'em!" Snow tries to cheer Hope up. His remark keeps us silent, trying to come up with a plan to survive, preferably with the legendary sword.

After a while, Snow speaks. "Hey, why don't we just go back down there and beat them up? We got separated just now, but this time we can stick together! They'll be goners!" he put on that boyish, confident smile of his.

"Oh, sure. Just charge in, guns blazing at Lindzei's pets? Doesn't it occur to you that these creatures may have other things up their sleeves?" comes Fang's cutting reply.

"Huh? I didn't see any sleeves, Fang…." Snow frowns, a confused look on his face.

"Oh, please. It's just an expression. What do they teach today's kids during literature anyway?" Sazh grumbles.

"Anyway, what I mean is, we should be careful with these freaks," Fang says. "I suggest we use Light's favorite strategy: divide and conquer. Get me and Vanille on the loose, and we'll sabotage one of those monsters with Slow, while the rest of you protect us. Once it is done, all of us can charge together at the other monster, beat the heck outta it while its comrade is immobilized, then continue the procedure with the first monster."

A few seconds of silence follows this, while everyone considers this strategy. Then,

"That's one hell of a strategy!"

"Fang, you are unbelievably genius!"

"It might work! We can kill them and go home with the sword!"

"Everything will be okay!"

Everyone is happy and positive about the plan. I myself begin to think that these monsters are not that deadly. We can take 'em!

"No."

That voice pierces the air. Lightning stares at us. "No," she repeats, her eyes as hard as frozen lakes.

"What do you mean, Light? The plan's good! We can beat them!" Vanille tries to convince Lightning.

"Who knows what other monsters lurk beyond this place? Let's face it. We've sauntered right into Lindzei's trap. Don't you get it? We strolled here happily, unaware that we were trapping ourselves! Lindzei did not set his pets to block the temple's entrance. He set them to block the temple's _exit_. "

Silence.

"You're right, Lightning… there may be monsters out there, but so what? Our plan can still work! We beat these monsters, then continue out. We face more monsters, we wipe 'em out together. Simple," Fang says.

"But the sounds of our fight here may attract the other beasts. Then they'll come swarming here and we'll be as good as dead!" Light begins again.

The group falls silent as her words begin to make sense in our heads.

"No. The only way," Lightning says, "is for me to stay here while you all continue moving."

Her words surprised us all.

"Hell, no!"

"We won't leave you alone!"

"Come on, Light, you can't do that!"

The protests continue, but I am terrified to see Lightning's eyes have turned cold and hard like ice. I've seen those eyes before, and they mean only one thing: Lightning's serious. She has made a decision, and she won't let anything get in her way once she has.

I tug her arm. "Please, sis… Don't be so foolhardy. We're in this together; we can fight them together… You don't have to go alone…" I wanted to sound convincing, but my voice sounds more like a plea.

She looks down at me. "There is no other way. If we all stay here, we might all get killed when other monsters turn up."

"Then why don't we just split the group into two? I can stay here and help you," Snow suggests.

I think it is a good suggestion, but Lightning barks it away like a Gorgonopsid barking an Imp away.

"We don't know what sort of monsters lay ahead. If you stay here and the monsters ahead turn out to be stronger than these ones, what then? We'll end up killed as well. No, there must only be one person staying here. Someone who can take these monsters on, and I'm sure I can."

"Then why must it be you, Light?" Fang asks her. "It can be me, too. I also think I can take these freaks of nature. I may not be as fast as you in taking 'em down, but I can still beat them."

"It won't work. The person who stays here must be able to finish fast, then catch up with the group to help fighting the next monsters ahead."

The group falls silent again.

"That's one perfect plan you have there, soldier," Sazh finally mumbles, followed with reluctant nods from the others.

"Guess the usual charge-in-through-the-front-door method isn't working anymore…" says Hope.

I can't believe this. Sure, Lightning's right, but I can't just leave her here alone! What if she gets hurt? I ask her immediately.

"But what if you get hurt Light? What if you can't beat them? What if you can't catch up with us? What if there is actually nothing ahead for us to fight?"

She looks at me again, her eyes soften.

"Then," she says, "all you guys have to do is to get to the base camp, leave the sword there and ensure it's safe, then come back here. Maybe I can't beat them, but I am surely able to hold them up until you guys return to my aid. Relax, Serah. The only injury I may get, and the only reason that I cannot catch up with you guys, is if that bird hits me with the energy beams and I cannot move. Other than that, I'll be okay."

And she looks so confident that I begin thinking that everything will be okay. It's always like this with my sister. She makes me feel safe. But I'm still worried.

"I still cannot let you go! What if you die, sis? What am I supposed to do then?" I say, almost breaking into tears. _No. Not now. I won't cry now! I must show her that I'm not scared; I'm just trying to keep her safe!_

"Serah."

She looks at me, her eyes warm and confident.

"I promise you, I won't die."

I look up at her, and see her smiling.

At that moment, I forget about everything. I don't care about anything else. There is only my sister there, smiling softly at me. I know that smile, because I love it so much. It makes me feel assured that everything's gonna be okay. A memory flashes in my head…

Flashback

I was ill. I was lying on my bed in my dark room, trying my best to sleep. I had a terrible fever, and it caused me awful headaches that kept me thinking about horrible memories. Our parents dying, and all memories of them. I began sobbing. I felt so alone, helpless, scared. Everything seemed threatening. I couldn't sleep.

That was when sis came to me. She lies down beside me. I snuggled to her, hugging her tightly. She fills me with warmth. I pushed my face into her soft hair, taking in that familiar, calming smell. Even though she says nothing, I felt better just by being with her. The feeling of her muscular stomach rose and fell under my hand as she breathed helped me feel safer, too. Yes, Lightning has this aura around her that makes me believe that she'll always be there for me, that she'll never leave me. I kept snuggling to her the whole night. Light never left my side, even after I fell asleep. She just lies there silently, keeping me safe and warm with her presence. She chased the nightmares away. And as long as she is there, as long as I'm with my sister, I know everything's gonna be alright.

* * *

><p>I love my sister. She is the light of my life. My savior. When our parents died, I was so devastated. Lightning was the one who raised me back from my slump. She took all the responsibilities, she kept everything under control, and our lives continue as for normal. She brings me up. She protects me. She chases my nightmares away. She looks after me. And she loves me so unconditionally. She is a miracle, a blessing I have so fortunately received. And she is always there for me whenever I need her. It makes me believe that Lightning will always be with me. I believe that she can wipe away any danger thrown at us with a slash of her gunblade. And I believe that she is invincible.<p>

I snap back into reality, staring at Lightning's eyes. They are warm and confident. _She is invincible._ Slowly, I begin to accept her plan. I ask her again, "You promise you won't die today?"

"I promise, Serah. You know I always keep my promises."

And I believe her. How could I not, while she is looking right into my eyes with such confidence and suppressed rage towards the monsters in her eyes? She'll kill those monsters. She will. She'll kill them, and join us again at the base camp tonight. We'll be okay… Right?

"Tonight, we'll be sitting around the campfire with the sword and everyone alive," she says.

Those words banish all my doubts. I totally believe her now. I smile, and nod.

Immediately the group let out a breath they have been holding while I make my decision. They smile too.

"Well, then… Best of luck, soldier," Sazh says.

"Make sure you kick 'em hell good, ok?" Fang says with her mischievous grin.

"You can do it, Light!" Vanille says happily, punching the air with her tiny fists.

"See you soon!" Snow laughs, patting Lightning's back.

"Be careful… Light… Don't push yourself too hard," Hope adds, a worried look still flashes on his face.

"Don't worry. I'll beat them. Defeat is not an option here," Lightning replies, a ghost of a smile plays at the tips of her lips as she looks down at her 'subordinate.' "Once I go down there, I'll distract them. You guys don't jump down before those monsters are completely distracted. Once they are, just jump down and run to the exit without glancing back. Sazh and Vanille, you two are the best in securing preemptive strikes. I leave the command to you guys, ok? See you guys soon."

With that, she turns her back on us and walks towards the alcove's edge. Just when she is about to jump, I call her back.

"Sis?"

She turns her head at me.

"Remember your promise."

She just smiles confidently, mutters a 'Yeah,' and jumps down.

All of us immediately go to the alcove's edge to watch her. I can see the bird and horse make their way towards her, wanting to tear her to shreds. Lightning continues falling towards the ground, but just when I think she is going to crash into the ground, she shouts.

"Odin!"

"Oh-ho! This'll be fun!" Fang laughs as she watches Odin explodes into existence on the ground, grabs Lightning, and flings her towards the horse. Then Odin jumps upwards and engages himself in a fast battle with the bird. But I am more concerned about Light. I don't want to see her gets electrocuted again!

Lightning rams into the horse, her gunblade locks with its horn. I am expecting her to get electrocuted, but nothing happens. The force of Lightning's movement pushes the horse backwards and it loses its balance. Lightning immediately swings herself sideways, slashing the horse's side and back. Then she somersaults away, kicking the horse as she does. She lands a few meters away, and I can see her grinning coldly. There is no happiness in her eyes, just rage.

"Whoa, how did she do that? I thought she was supposed to get electrocuted?" Snow asks in puzzlement.

"There's something different with her gunblade…" Fang says, squinting her eyes to see clearer. "It's… shining.. And crackles?"

Upon hearing this, Sazh and Hope, our two Synergists, immediately says "Of course!" then look at each other. Sazh laughs and says, "You explain it, kid."

Hope answers immediately, "She casts Enthunder on her blade! That's why she did not get electrocuted; the electric charges in the gunblade and the horn cancel each other."

"Wow," Vanille says, her eyes wide with amazement. "When did she do that?"

"Must be when Odin swings her. Odin's a master of the Thunder element, he's surely able to do just that," Fang mumbles. "Quite remarkable, her idea…"

We continue watching silently as Lightning clashes and slash her gunblade at the horse. It tries to run, but Lightning gives no mercy. Her fight becomes more and more violent and fast-paced as the horse grows desperate upon realizing that it cannot electrify Lightning. Lightning also doesn't give it any chance to shoot electric shock directly at her un-Enthundered body. Meanwhile, the fight above ground is not less violent. Odin swings his gigantic blade at the bird, clashing with its beak, wings and claws. The bird shoots him with its energy beams, but Odin looks unaffected. Once, it releases a fury of slashes with its beak and claws, but Odin resists it with his Ullr's Shield. Odin occasionally casts electric shocks at the bird, too, and every time this hits the bird, it lets out a screech of pain. Looks like it is weak towards the Thunder element, then. The double fights continue, looking terrifying, yet graceful in their own way. A menacing beauty.

An explosion draws our attention back to Lightning. I was horrified to see the horse has snapped. Literally. Electricity bursts from every pore in its body, crackling, making the air hisses with its power. It is focusing all that electricity to a single attack, and shoots it towards Lightning.

"Odin!" Lightning calls, then everything happens so fast I could barely see. First, Odin rushes back towards Light. It looks like he grabs her and flings her again, and then the next thing we know is that Odin stands absorbing the horse's electricity attack, seeming unaffected by it, while Lightning is suddenly in the air, sending a powerful Thundaga spell at the bird. The bird, not expecting Odin to disappear and gets replaced by Lightning, cannot dodge the attack. The spell hits it straight, and a mighty explosion fills the air, as well as the bird's screeches of pain.

I cheered. It's true, then. Wherever Lightning goes, thunder follows!

"Whoop! Serves you right, overgrown chicken! How do ya like gettin' fried?" Fang shouts in glee, her face full of amusement. "Geez, I wish I have popcorns right now! Nothing beats the fun of watchin' an enemy's ass gettin' kicked!"

"Ouch. That bird must be regretting its decision of fighting Lightning right now," Sazh winced.

"Of course! Light's gonna teach 'em where their places are!" Hope shouts, a smile of admiration lights his face as he watches Lightning and Odin switches their positions again.

Vanille, meanwhile, has been dancing some kind of victory dance since the bird gets 'fried,' to use Fang's expression.

"Lightning tears the sky, Lightning flashes bright, Lightning wins!" she sings merrily, high-fiving Snow, who smiles broadly too. "Now we only have to wait until the horse gets pummeled as well, then we can jump down there and race for more fun!" he says.

Ironically, just after his lips close, chaos breaks.

Odin and Lightning has returned to their initial positions with their initial enemies, but their fights have caused them to have quite a great distance between them. Apparently the horse and bird have decided not to let Lightning and Odin switch positions again. It's strange, though. It looks like the bird and horse can communicate with some kind of strange telepathy, as they can move together as a team, not as individual monsters. It must be said, these monsters have more brain than the other common monsters we meet at Gran Pulse. Those monsters are driven by instincts, but these monsters are driven by purpose, and they know what they are doing. Good for them, but bad for us.

It all begins when the bird flies past our alcove, chased closely by Odin. We duck back into the alcove, of course, but Hope does it a moment too late. The bird spots him, and screeched loudly, before flying away. But its screech is enough to take the horse's attention. It neighs, raising its front legs so suddenly. Lightning, not expecting the sudden move, takes the blow on her legs and falls. The horse immediately runs away from her, and positions itself in a straight line with our alcove.

As it stands there, jolts of electricity form at the tip of its horn. It gets bigger and bigger, until its size is bigger than its body. Then it neighs and releases the electricity cannon _towards _us. _Damn. The bird has told it we are here!_

"Dammit! Guys, get ready!" Fang shouts. She moves towards the alcove's opening, standing in a defense position beside Snow as Sentinels.

"Cast Shell, kiddos!" Sazh shouts as well, casting Shell immediately at the alcove's opening, in front of Fang and Snow. I immediately do as he says, followed by Vanille and Hope. The numerous Shell spells cover the opening with a glimmering transparent greenish wall.

We watch in fear as the cannon gets closer to us. Sure, it's moving quite slowly, but it's big and powerful. It shall hit us any minute now.

"Shoot! We won't make it! It's too big!" Snow remarks, his eyes wide opened.

I try to cast more Shell as fast as possible and I can see Hope, Vanille and Sazh are doing the same thing. _No. We can't die here. I still have to see Lightning!_

Just when we think we are finished, and Snow and Fang have tensed themselves for impact, we heard Lightning's voice.

"Odin!" she shouts. "Lend me your blade!"

She has realized our situation, and comes for our aid. We see her running towards us, holstering her gunblade as she sprints. I must admit she sprints very fast. I have once overheard Fang telling Vanille one day that she had never met anyone else who could overrun her in a straightforward sprint besides Lightning. And now Lightning is sprinting full tilt towards us, her expression angry and tense.

Meanwhile, Odin throws his blade at Lightning, then continues fighting the bird with his fists and Thunder spells. The wing-like blade cuts through the air, heading towards Lightning, the Thunder pattern etched into it glows as it spins.

Lightning jumps, catches the blade in midair, and thrusts it into the wall under our alcove. She uses it as a leverage to throw herself upwards. We see her turns around to face the cannon, right below our alcove. Subconsciously, I extend my hands down towards her.

Right then, the cannon makes contact. It hits Lightning square on her body, pushing her against the wall. I would have thought it kills her hadn't I seen her raising the blade in front of her body right before the impact. We hear her groans as she tries to block the cannon and prevent it from crushing and electrocuting her. I know Odin's blade is an electrical conductor, but now the cannon has too much thrusting force that it cannot be conducted away unless Lightning can somehow push it back.

I look at her face. She clenches her teeth in defiance; her arms trembling on her effort to withstand the cannon. Then she suddenly changes her position. She still holds the blade in front of her to block the attack, but she also lifts her legs so that now her feet are flat against the wall.

"Gggghhh….!" She bellows as she tries to kick the wall. Her thighs work laboriously, her muscles tensed, then she kicks the wall so hard it propels her forward into the cannon.

The cannon is pushed back, and Lightning simply swings the blade to conduct the cannon away. It hits the far wall near the horse with a loud explosion, causing it to collapse entirely.

"Bless those thunder thighs, they're gonna kick you good! Yes, she is Lightning! Whoooop!" Fang exclaims, a fierce happiness fills her face. Sazh and Snow just exhale loudly, while Vanille drops to the ground, letting out a breath of relief. But Hope and I hurry to the opening, which is still protected with Shell, to see Lightning. She has landed on the ground, throwing Odin's blade back at him and take out her gunblade from its holster again. Then she runs towards the collapsing wall, waiting for the horse to emerge from underneath it, if it survives the rabbles.

"Now's our chance! Let's move!" Sazh commands.

Without further ado, all of us jump down, Snow catching me, then run towards the exit. Just before we leave the vast room, I glance back and catch a glimpse of Lightning somersaulting backwards to avoid the galloping horse and shoots its back a few times with her gunblade in midair. Then the tunnel swings to the left and she disappears from my view.

_Please be okay… Sis…_


	2. Chapter 2

Lightning sees from the corner of her eyes that her friends have left. Then she returns her gaze to the horse, ready to take it on again. By now it has suffered some damage on its back and sides from Lightning's shots and slashes, and is staggering. In the air, meanwhile, Odin has managed to get a hold on the bird. He throws his blade down, then uses his bare hands to strangle the bird's neck tightly, ignoring the bird's slashing claws and thrashing wings. Seeing a chance, Lightning immediately holsters her gunblade, runs and grabs Odin's blades, swinging it at the horse. It slams into the horse's body with a loud noise. The horse falls to the ground, neighing in pain, its eyes begin to lose their murderous glow. Just before those eyes close, they flicker once again. Using its last strength, the horse creates a gigantic electric bullet at its horn and shoots it towards Lightning, its last attempt to kill her. To its horror, it sees Lightning smiling coldly as her face is lit with the eerie glow of the bullet.

Lightning is satisfied. The horse has reacted according to how she predicted it would be. Sure, it is now shooting a powerful electric bullet in her direction, but she still has an ace in the hole. She concentrates at the bullet, waiting for the perfect timing to execute her move.

_Now!_

Lightning swings Odin's blade, blocking the bullet. Not only that, she aims the blade in the bird's direction. The bullet is conducted away, shooting straight towards the bird, who is still being held tight by Odin. Fear spreads in its black eyes as it sees the bullet getting closer. It lets out a shrilling screech, thrashing wildly to break free from Odin's hold. _As you wish._ Odin releases his grip, just before the bullet makes contact. The bird tries to fly away, but it was too late. The electric bullet hits it fully. Meanwhile, Odin turns to his horse form in mid-fall then gallops towards his master's side. The two monsters now lie on the ground, smoking, no longer moving.

_It's over, _Lightning thinks. _Now to go find Serah and the others. _

Just after she thought that, Odin suddenly neighed loudly, panic fills his voice; then lurches forward to stand in front of Lightning. Lightning looks up right when another monster, in the shape similar to a samurai, enters the room and swings his long silver sword in Odin's and her direction. Normally, there is no harm to be done with such a great distance between them and the sword, but this time it's different. A flash of imminent light shoots out from the sword, literally cutting the floor and makes its way towards Lightning, in a speed faster than she can react against. A twinkle of light flashes in Odin's eyes, and he neighs while jumping to Lightning's front.

The attack hits his side hard.

Lightning watches in disbelief as her loyal companion in battles is cut into two and shatters into pieces. He turns his horse head towards her, a last flash of light plays in his eyes. Then he sends a powerful healing spell at Lightning. The spell replenishes her power, heals all the small cuts she had and even doubles her energy and stamina. That is the last gift from her loyal Eidolon, who has now been defeated.

Lightning stares at her defeated Eidolon, watching him dissolves into thin air. Just before he disappears completely, she mutters two words.

"Well done."

Odin blinks, then disappears completely.

"Until next time," Lightning says softly, standing up.

Then she averts her cold gaze at the new opponent. To her annoyance, the samurai monster has seemingly healed his comrades. It has also blocked the tunnel leading out of the room with a powerful spell that shines vermilion. Meanwhile, the horse has stood up again, stomping its hooves, electricity sparks from every contact they make with the floor. The bird hovers behind it, beating its wings quietly, eyeing Lightning. The samurai rises from his crouching position and turns his head slowly towards Lightning. His eyes are silver and sharp, but emotionless, just like his sword. That sword is now being raised with its tip pointing at Lightning.

Lightning just watches them silently, a cold rage storms in her brilliant blue eyes. Her face is devoid of emotions, but her eyes are glaring. If they were piercing ice before, now they are flaring blue flames burning with fearsome intensity. She takes out her gunblade from its holster, switching it to its blade mode. Then, she dashed forward, releasing her Army of One into the three monsters.


	3. Chapter 3

"Back under your rock!" Fang shouts in anger and frustration as she sends a powerful Ruinga to the group of grounded Seekers who just emerge from under a pile of rocks at the tunnel's side. This is our tenth encounter with monsters, and all of them have been stronger than the monsters we faced at the entrance. Looks like Lightning's speculation is true, then. Lindzei really did set his pets at the exit.

Without further ado, I send multiple Shell at Snow, Fang and Sazh who are lurching forward to attack. I can feel the same spell casted at me by Hope. Vanille, meanwhile, is sending various status ailments at the monsters. After fighting for a while, we win the fight without any casualties. However, the presence of more monsters keeps us frustrated and tired. Just how many more monsters are there between this place and the exit?

Fang growls. "We won't make it at this rate," she mutters with annoyance in her face. I scowl, not understanding what she is talking about. Surely we are moving slowly, but it doesn't mean we are losing right? I approach Vanille silently.

"What is Fang talking about?" I ask her.

"Oh, that," she laughs nervously. "She is just talking about our speed. She wants to reach the exit before Lightning catches up with us. It's like some kind of competition to her, you know? If Lightning can catch up with us, it will mean to Fang that she loses. I believe you have realized by now that Fang considers Lightning as her match. And she won't let herself lose to your sister." She smiles apologetically. "No offense there. I know Fang respects Lightning, she just… can't express it clearly… and the fact that she takes Lightning as her match means she acknowledges her. I believe she trusts Lightning a lot, too. If not, how would she have agreed to let her fight alone back there?"

I just smile at Vanille, telling her that I am not offended at all. Somehow, I'm kinda proud knowing Fang considers my sister as her match.

"Guys, let's move!"

We hear Fang calling at us. She has walked in front, although 'walk' is a bit inaccurate to describe her movement. 'Jog' is more like it. She waves her lance at us, her face looks annoyed.

"Geez, take your time, Fang!" Sazh grumbles. "I'm not as young as you guys! Lightning might have promised back there that she won't die, but I haven't! And if this continue, I may be dead soon out of exhaustion. Then the situation tonight won't be of us 'sitting around the fire with the sword and everyone alive' like what Lightning said, but it will be 'us sitting around the fire with an old man lying on the only mattress we have, breathing with the help of an oxygen mask'. "

His comment sends us all laughing. Sazh is very fun to be with. Still, we jog to keep up with Fang's pace.

Just as we pass a crack in the wall, the wall explodes, pouring Snow with pebbles. He is a Sentinel, anyway, so he is okay. We quickly move back to get ready to fight whatever coming out. We are shocked to see a vast room beyond the wall. But the room doesn't catch our attention. It is the monster that stands in the room that shocks us. It is none other than the mountainous Adamantoise!

We all stare at the towering monster wide-eyed. Then the monster lets out a loud bellow that keeps our ears ringing. Its eyes glow angrily as it spots us. Another bellow it lets out… Then the attack comes. It simply stomps its large foot, and earthquake shakes the ground. We get thrown aback, shouts and screams fill the air.

"The hell..!" Fang, as usual, is the first one to speak in this kind of situation. "We won't survive this without strategy! Any ideas?" she asks.

"No time for that! Just do what Lightning always says!" comes Snow's reply.

"And her saying is…?" Fang asks again, scowling in annoyance.

Hope and I answer simultaneously.

"Move on instinct!"

Fang laughs. "Sounds good to me!" she says, jumping forward to attack the creature's head. Unfortunately, the creature moves fast for its size. It roars, shaking its head, and one of its tusks hits Fang, slamming her to the wall.

"Fang!" Vanille screams, hurriedly running to heal her friend. I run with her, approaching Fang and begin healing her broken arm. Meanwhile, Snow has stood in defense position as a Sentinel while Hope and Sazh cast various buffs around us.

"I appreciate it," I hear Fang says to me and Vanille. I look at her and see her already standing again, shaking her head in dismay. "I won't repeat the mistake again," she says, then run towards Snow, helping him as a Sentinel. After getting enough buffs, Hope and Sazh begin attacking while Vanille tries to sabotage the beast. I, meanwhile, stand ready to replenish worn-out spells or cast healing spell to anyone who gets injured, especially our Sentinels.

The fight continues for a very long time. The creature is very strong. No matter how many times Sazh and Hope release their Cold Blood and Last Resort attacks at it, it doesn't seem to be affected. The same goes for Fang's Highwind and Snow's Sovereign Fist. Its attacks come slowly, but they are powerful. We get hurt often. Now Hope must work with me in order to keep everyone alive, and even that is still not enough. Each of us often uses the Potions that we have to heal ourselves. With Hope acting as a Medic, the only ones attacking are Sazh and Vanille. Sazh sends barrage of bullets to the beast while Vanille casts her Death spell at it.

After a long time hitting, we finally manage to cut the beast's legs. It is now lying on the ground, unable to stand up, but still able to attack. I begin to feel my magic draining out. Beside me, I see Hope becoming paler and paler with each healing spell he casts. He is near to his limits. Me too, actually. I glance up at Vanille and see her at the same state as us. Yet, she still keeps casting Death at the grounded beast. Fang and Snow meanwhile, have suffered some injuries in their role as Sentinels. I can see Sazh is getting tired too. His shots lose speed and he misses some of his shots. We are drained. We cannot keep this up much longer! And we have used all the potions that we have. Looks like Lightning's right again. The monsters ahead are stronger.

After a very long battle that feels to have lasted for days, the beast finally succumbs to Vanille's Death spell. It lets out its last bellow, then falls to the ground with a loud crash that shakes the whole room.

"Awww…" Vanille drops to her knees, exhausted. Snow and Fang lower their defenses, then sit on the ground. Sazh isn't bothered with sitting down; he just lets his body falls to the ground with a thump. Then he just lies on the ground, panting. Hope and I exchange weary glances, then fall down as well. I close my eyes. _We are alive. Lucky._

Nobody talks for a while. We are so drained. All of us are tired, and the Medics, including me, have no more magic to spare. The items have also run out ages ago. So we can only wait until our strength fully returns (which will most likely be tomorrow) and bear with the exhaustion.

"Aaargh," Sazh moans. "I've never felt this exhausted before."

All of us mumble our agreement, even Fang nods reluctantly.

After a while, Snow stands up and moves around, exploring the area. He disappears from our sight for a while, but returns immediately with a broad grin on his face.

"What?" Fang asks him.

"Well, I just found out something that will make our mood better and our spirits high again," he answers.

"No need to be theatrical. Just tell us what you saw," Fang cuts him sharply.

"You guys will be happy to know that the exit is just right there," he announces.

All of us immediately sits straight, saying 'Are you serious' and 'really?' All of our exhaustion seems to be washed away by the excitement and anticipation.

Snow says, "Well, the exit is not actually _right _there, it's just that I found a trail that I remember we passed before when we enter this place… Maybe I'm wrong, but…"

"Heck care," Fang cuts him off, going towards the place that Snow points. She examines it for a while, then says, "Awesome. Sure, this is the trail we passed before. But it is still quite a long walk to the actual exit."

None of us get discouraged by this. We just jump to our feet and begin walking again, but of course slower now that our energy is all drained up. Still, walking in a place that is surely devoid of enemies make us feel better and the spirit pushes us to continue moving forward. It can be said that we have defeated Lindzei's pets, and now we only have to stroll out! We are leaving this place.

Before leaving, we inspect the Adamantoise's carcass to look for anything valuable. Suddenly Hope shouts, "I found something, guys!" and we all run to him. Turns out he has found a Ribbon, a rare item that randomly nullify any damage and spell.

"Nice founding, kid," Sazh says to Hope.

"Keep it well. It's rare and precious," Fang adds.

"I don't think I need it…" Hope says. Then he suddenly turns to me, holding out the Ribbon.

"Here, Serah. I think you need this more than I do," he says.

I look at him with surprise. "No, Hope! I cannot take it! You found it, so it's yours," I reply him.

"Yeah, but that means it's up to me to give it away," he answers back. "I believe Lightning will agree too if I give it to you. She loves you; she would want you to be safe."

"But how about you, Hope? She cares about you too. She also wants you safe."

He laughs at this. "I'll be fine. She is my 'mentor' anyway. She teaches me how to keep myself alive, so I think I'll be okay. Don't feel bad; just keep it. I'll feel more relaxed knowing you are safer."

I can feel my face going warm after hearing his last sentence. _He is worried about me? _

"Thank you, Hope… I'll keep it then. Thanks!"

"You're most welcome." He smiles. I pocket the Ribbon.

With that, we leave the room and continue moving towards the exit.

The journey out was uneventful. No monsters, no danger. We only have to walk slowly, considering our exhaustion. We walk for quite a long way without talking, all of us busy with our own thoughts. I am thinking about the Ribbon Hope just gave me, then about the fight with the Adamantoise that we just won. Thinking about it, my thoughts jump to Lightning.

Suddenly, I feel so worried. Hope, who walks right beside me, must have noticed the sudden change in my walking pace because he looks up at me with a curious glance. I just shake my head, but he ruins it by asking me, "Are you okay?" Of course, the whole group immediately turns their heads at me, concern in their eyes.

"Serah?" Vanille asks, tilting her head to one side. "What's wrong?"

I huffed, giving up.

"It's nothing… It's just that… I was thinking… Shouldn't Light have caught up with us by now?" the moment I say it, I feel so worried and scared. During the fight with the Adamantoise, I've been thinking about her, hoping that she will jump out of nowhere and aid us in fighting the monster. But she did not. My eyes hit the floor. The group falls silent upon hearing this, but then Hope speaks up.

"Don't worry. She'll be fine. She is very strong… she is surely more than capable of beating those two monsters. I've seen her defeat more enemies back there in Palumpolum… Enemies who attacked simultaneously… While still protecting me." He shudders at the memory.

"And she is too stubborn to lose!" Fang adds, a smirk forms on her face.

"But that's why I'm scared!" I yell at her, almost breaking into tears without myself knowing exactly why. "What if she pushes herself too hard? What if she goes too far and… and…" I can't finish my sentence. I just stand there, trying to hold my tears.

Immediately Vanille is already standing by my side, hugging my shoulders. "Everything will be okay, Serah!" she chirps. "Lightning's strong; you don't have to worry about her. Maybe she is just exhausted after beating those monsters, that's why she hasn't appeared here right now… Or maybe those monsters seal the room so she cannot leave? If that's the case, we'll free her soon! Don't you want that?"

I nod silently.

"There, there. So now we only have to reach the basecamp then go back to pick her up!" she says cheerfully.

"But…" I start again. "What if she is exhausted right now? And there is no one there to heal her or support her?"

Snow chuckles upon hearing this. "Relax, Serah," he says. "Lightning's not only too stubborn to lose, she is also too stubborn to die. She is alive and kicking, I'm sure of it." And he gives me that broad, boyish smile of his that manages to comfort me a bit.

"Don't worry your little pretty head over her. She can take care of herself," Fang adds.

"Yeah. Our Lightning there is more than skillful. Didn't you see how she kicked those monsters' asses back there? She owns them." Sazh nods at me.

Their words reassure me. I smile at them, nodding. "Thank you, guys. I feel better now," I say.

"Good. Then let's don't make her wait too long for her rescuers, shall we?" Fang asks, grinning her mischievous grin again.

We laugh, and follow her walking through the passage.

_They are right. Light is invincible._


	4. Chapter 4

We continue walking for the next moments. Finally, we see sunlight shining into the tunnel we are walking through.

"Look! Sunlight!" Hope shouts happily, pointing at the light and begins running towards it.

Snow laughs, immediately running after Hope. The rest of us follow him running into the warmth we have been longing for.

"Aaaaaaah…!" Vanille inhales deeply, spreading her arms with joy as she walks into the sunlight we have all missed so much. She giggles, beginning to run around. Fang just watches her with amusement in her eyes. But as for me, I only want to reach the basecamp as soon as possible.

"Alright, 'Nille, enough running around! We still have to go back for Lightning, y'know!" Fang says to Vanille.

I exhale with relief seeing Vanille immediately comes back to us and walks beside Fang.

Snow, Sazh and Hope walk beside me. We make our way to our basecamp in Vallis Media. It's a bit far, but at least the path is safe. Even though there are some monsters, but they do not pose any threats to us, even in our exhausted state. So we walk, slowly but surely, to our basecamp.

"You know, it's kinda hard to believe that we have actually won against Lindzei's pets and acquire his sword," says Sazh.

"That's because we are the heroes!" Snow says happily. He punches the air with his fist. "See, no monster can still be alive after messing with us!"

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you for your observation," Fang replies him. "Anyway, what's the plan after this? I mean, after we get Light back? Are we going to go for Barthandelus right away, swinging the sword, or are we going to do something else?"

"Well, I dunno!" Snow smiles broadly. "But since we already have the sword, I think we should just go straight for Barthandelus. What do you guys think?" he turns his head to the rest of us.

"I'm fine with anything! As long as I'm with Fang!" Vanille answers.

"Hmmm, I think we should train first, shouldn't we?" Sazh says.

"But if we wait too long, we may lose our element of surprise," Hope answers. He turns his head to me. "What do you think, Serah?" he asks.

"Oh, erm, I'm fine with anything…"

"…that Light says." Fang finishes my sentence, grinning at me. "Correct?"

I laugh, nodding.

"You love her so much, don't you?" Sazh asks me.

"Yes." I nod. "She has done so much for me, and loves me unconditionally. Of course I love her too! I always feel safe when I'm with her."

"Who will not?" Hope says, smiling. "I always get the feeling that she is invincible whenever I fight alongside her. I feel assured that we will always win any fight."

"Yep. Your sister there is strong," Fang says to me. "But!" she adds, "don't forget that now WE are the ones who will rescue her! We will get her out from that room." She grins mischievously. "I'm sure she gets locked in, or else she would've been here a long time ago,"

she pauses for a while, thinking about something.

"Ha! Imagine her banging at the door with no avail!" she suddenly laughs.

"And today we finally get to be the one rescuing her!" Snow laughs.

"Hey, Serah, do you mind if I tease her a bit before releasing her free?" Fang asks me.

I laugh. "No, I don't mind. But don't blame me if Light gets angry to you!"

"Come on, guys, we still don't know what kind of lock or seal is applied by those monsters that makes Light unable to get out!" Hope says. "What if we also cannot remove it?"

"Aww, don't worry, Hope! With a quick Esuna spell, everything will be okay!" Vanille says. "I'm sure we still have one or two vials of Potion at the basecamp, so we can drink it to replenish our magic before we go to get Light!" she adds.

"Oh…yeah…you are right." Hope answers.

"Alright, so now let's move!" Fang says, beginning to jog. Sazh groans, but he still follows the rest of us jogging to the basecamp.


	5. Chapter 5

We finally reach the basecamp. It looks exactly as how we left it this morning, with our only mattress still spread on the ground near the remains of our last campfire. Next to it, lies our provision, which includes some coconuts and other fruit we found in the surrounding area. Vanille runs towards a fallen tree trunk and begins searching underneath it for the Potions that we kept there. She pulls out two vials.

"All right, so who will get the privilege to drink these good, sweet Potions?" she asks, smiling as usual.

"I think you and Hope should drink it, 'Nille." Fang answers. "You two are the best spell casters around here, so you are the ones that should drink the Potions to be able to break whatever seal blocking the room later. And to heal whatever injury our Lightning may have sustained," Fang winks at me. "Not that I'm trying to worry you," she says. "I'm just considering the possibilities. She might have some cuts on her arms."

I nod, agreeing with her. Since the rest of the group also agrees, so Vanille and Hope drink the Potions. They immediately get all energetic again.

"Aww, stop jumping around like that! You are making me jealous!" Sazh groans as he watches Vanille jumping around Fang, flailing her arms with the new energy surge she just got from the Potions.

"Ooops, sorry!" Vanille giggles. "Do you want me to cast some Cure on you?"

"Nah, I think you two should save your magic, considering that we still don't know what kind of spell is blocking the room," Sazh answers.

"You are still so kind!" Vanille laughs, patting his back. "Let's go, then!" she exclaims.

"Wait! Shouldn't we leave someone behind to guard the sword?" Hope asks.

The protests come almost immediately.

"No way!'

"I don't want to stay behind!"

"I refuse! I won't waste this first-and-maybe-last chance to rescue and tease Lightning!"

"Okay, okay!" Hope raises his arms in defeat. "We shall all go together!"

"That's more like it, kid," Fang growls.

"But he is right… We can't just leave the sword we have fought so hard to achieve without any guard…" I say.

The group falls silent again.

Suddenly Snow shouts. "I know! Why don't we just leave one of our Eidolons here?"

We stare at him in surprise.

"W-O-W. I've never thought that you actually have enough brain power to come up with an idea like that, Snow," Fang says, raising her eyebrows. "Did you hit your head somewhere? Or have the Makers taken a pity on you and blessed you with some extra brain cells?"

"Hey! Was that an insult?" Snow asks, frowning.

"Okay, I change my mind. Looks like the Makers haven't given him any extra brain cells. They just gave him a random I-have-a-good-idea moment." Fang says to Vanille, who laughs uncontrollably, just like the rest of us.

Still, Snow's idea is a very good one. We decided to leave Hope's Eidolon, Alexander, behind because he has the strongest defense. Hope instructs Alexander to protect the sword and prevent anyone besides us from taking it. With that settled, we make our way back to the temple, to get Lightning back.

_We are coming… Light... _

* * *

><p>We arrive at the temple. It no longer looks menacing as we know that all we have to do is to stroll in, break a spell and take Lightning back. Still, I am worried about her. So I try to at least jog along the way. The others seem to understand my feelings and they also jog alongside me. Even though we are only separated for a few hours, but I already missed Lightning. I want to see her, to hug her tightly, to ensure that she is okay, and to share our happiness in finally achieving the sword. So I jog and jog. I do not really notice our surrounding, and suddenly we are already in the last tunnel that separates us and Lightning. My heart begins to thump louder. <em>Lightning! <em>I shout in my heart. Calling her.

"Just a bit more," Fang winks at me. "You don't have to be so agitated, y'know."

"Aww, I think that's normal!" Vanille says to Fang. "I miss Light, too!"

I look at Hope. He runs beside me, his face looks as agitated as me. I bet he wants to see Lightning as soon as possible too, just like me.

"LIGHTNING!"

We all jump in shock when Snow suddenly shouts for Light.

"Are you stupid or something?" Fang barks at him. "What did you do that for?"

"Erm, I wanted to call Light so that she knows we are here…?"

"Wow, what a great idea," Fang answers sarcastically, rising her eyebrows. "Although you might be interested in knowing that she cannot possibly hear you, considering the fact that we are still quite far away from her."

Vanille and Sazh chuckle upon hearing this, while Snow just mutters an 'oh' and looks away, looking embarrassed.

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoes through the air.

We all immediately stand alert, looking for the source of the sound. I can feel blood drains from my face as I realize that the explosion comes from the area beyond us, where Light is supposed to be. I can see the others becoming pale as they realize this too.

We immediately dash forward.

We are only running for a while, before I see an eerie wall of vermilion light blocking the tunnel. However, the explosion that we heard was surely coming from beyond this blockade. I know this must be a very powerful spell, so I do not touch it. Hope and Vanille, meanwhile, have approached the wall and begin observing it. Hope scowls, before he tries casting Esuna spell on the wall. The wall wavers for a bit, but nothing else happens.

I begin to feel really worried. _What was that explosion? Is Light alright? How are we gonna pass through this wall?_

"It's no use!" suddenly Hope shouts in frustration. "This spell is way more powerful than any spell we have ever seen before!"

"Esuna spell seems to affect it, though,' Vanille adds thoughtfully. "I think if we keep casting, and maybe hitting, this wall may shatter," she says again.

"Can it be hit?" Fang asks.

Without asking anything, Snow lurches forward and punches the wall. It wavers, but it is still there. Snow frowns.

"How does it feel? Is it solid?" Sazh asks him.

"Yeah, it is solid enough to make my fist hurts," Snow answers, wincing a little.

"Then what are we waiting for? Pummel it, everyone!" Fang commands.

We all immediately assault the wall frantically; Hope, Vanille and I use magic while the others use physical approach.

Sudddenly, another explosion fills the air. I cannot hold it anymore! I'm so worried about Light!

Just when I am about to burst into tears of frustration, a flash of light shines from within my pocket. I stare at it, puzzled. Then I realized what is in there. _Of course! The Ribbon! It's working!_

Without giving the others time to react, I lurch forward and run past the wall. I pass it successfully, the Ribbon negating its effect on me. The others stare at me in surprise. Without waiting for them, I run towards the next room.

That's when the others realize what is happening.

"Get back here, Serah!" I heard Fang shouts.

"We still don't know what is beyond there!" Sazh shouts as well.

I stop, looking back at them.

"I'll be fine!" I shout back. "I just want to check if Light's okay, then I'll come back! I'll be with her, so I'll be fine!"

"But there may still be monsters there! And you are run out of magic!" Vanille shouts too.

"I'll be fine! Lightning's there!"

With that, I lurch forward into the next room, ignoring the others' shouts of warning. Behind me, I can hear them still struggling to break the spell.


	6. Chapter 6

Lightning is exhausted.

While Serah and the others are making their way to the basecamp, Lightning has been fighting the three monsters.

The fight has been going on for hours, and it has sapped a great deal of her energy. Her breaths come heavily now, her movements slower and her strikes are losing power. The monsters have caused quite some damage to the room and rabbles are scattered all around the place. She is currently hiding behind a pillar, panting, trying to get as much oxygen as she can while it's possible. The monsters, in contrast, are looking energetic and not affected by the fight at all. Lightning suspects that the presence of the samurai-like monster has given some kind of energy surge to the other monsters.

Talking about monsters, Lightning has realized that these freaks can actually _talk._ She found out about it when the horse suddenly spoke with a booming voice to the samurai. It said, "Our time is almost up, Yojimbo. And yours will be too, soon." The samurai, Yojimbo, had answered with an eerie voice that sounded like it came from nowhere. He said, "Then let's finish this fast, Glenwing, Folkvir."

It's funny, though. She never expects monsters to have names, how much more being able to speak. "Freaks of nature," she has said through clenched teeth, as she watched Yojimbo walking around, looking for her. She has managed to immobilize the bird with her Stop spell. It is now grounded, thrashing wildly, trying to break free from the spell. A quick glance at it tells her that the spell will not hold for long. The horse, meanwhile, is galloping around the far side of the room, looking for her as well. It is too far to be able to help its samurai comrade on time. This is her chance. Not a very good one though.

"Well," Lightning thinks, "there is nothing else to do besides doing it."

With that, she jumps out of her hiding place and sends some Ruinga spell at the samurai. While he is busy blocking the spells, she runs towards him and slashes her gunblade at him. But things did not go as she expected. Yojimbo did not bother to block the Ruinga spells, because he knows Lightning is coming. He lets the spells hit him, which does not seem to affect him. Then he brings down his blade, which clashes with Lightning's.

_Damn._ Lightning rolls to the side, shooting Yojimbo's legs, then stands up, only to somersault backwards again when Yojimbo's blade slashes at her. Instead of standing up, Lightning throws her hands behind her head, doing a bridge, then throws her legs up and pushes the ground hard with her hands at the same time, thus providing extra thrust to her kick to Yojimbo's side. He staggered backwards a few steps and Lightning quickly stands up to deliver a strike with her gunblade.

Unfortunately, the horse has come for Yojimbo's aid. It gallops towards Lightning, and she has to do a backflip to prevent herself from being hit and electrocuted. With a grunt, she casts Enthunder on her blade then slashes it on the horse's back. The horse neighs with the first slash, then quickly moves out of Lightning's reach. Lightning, meanwhile, has landed on the ground and is currently engaged in a fast sword fight with Yojimbo. Their blades swing, clash, separate, slash, clash again, then separate again, all done in a very short moment.

Trying to help its comrade, the horse shoots an electric charge at Lightning.

_I won't get anywhere if they keep helping each other like this!_

Lightning manages to dodge the charge by jumping, then quickly brings her blade down again at Yojimbo's head, only to be blocked by him. She has tried many times to separate the monsters and fight them individually, but they won't give her any chance. They are too smart.

The horse shoots a charge at her again, but this time Lightning blocks it with a Watera spell. The spell encloses the electric charge, nullifies it, then continues moving towards the horse and manages to distract it with the splashes. Without further ado, Lightning casts a Thundaga spell at Yojimbo, which he does not dodge. _Arrogant lot._ But for those split seconds of distraction, Lightning has managed to get away from them and moves towards the immobilized bird. It is almost breaking free now, but before he does that, Lightning has one more present for it.

_This will sting, _she thinks as she sends another Thundaga at the bird. It screeches loudly. Lightning thinks this bird is the weakest among the three, and she hopes to defeat it first before focusing on the other. Sadly, this isn't the case, as the bird quickly regains its strength and breaks free from the Stop spell, flying to the sky.

_Tch. So much for wasting my magic._

Before the bird can strike, Lightning has disappeared again behind one of the piles of rabbles. There, she struggles to catch her breaths, cradling her sore right arm that got hit once by Yojimbo's blade. Luckily, it was the back of his sword, and hence did little damage. Then, she peeks out carefully at the three monsters. That's when she realizes something. The bird's and the horse's forms have changed. They look a bit pale, almost transparent, now. It is as if they are fading. Then everything dawns upon her.

"They said their time is almost up… Maybe that means they can only exist for a certain period of time…" Lightning says to herself. "If that's true, then all I have to do is to simply stay alive until they disappear."

With this new hope dangling, Lightning can feel her energy returns. Now, all she has to do is to prolong the fight until the monsters disappear for good. Then she can run to find Serah and the others. Doubtlessly by now they have already reached the exit. Lightning feels a little annoyed imagining Fang's smug face when she realizes she has reached the exit before Lightning catches up. _Tch. _

Staying alive until the monsters disappear… This is easier to be said than done.

The next moments are spent dodging attacks, counter-attacking and blocking attacks. The monsters no longer give Lightning any chance to run away. Plus, with the bird's presence, things have become even more difficult for Lightning. Still, she holds her weapon tightly and tries her best to remain focused, because she knows she'll be dead as soon as her concentration wavers.

However, this is becoming harder and harder as she gets more and more tired. Her limbs feel heavy and her lungs feel like burning no matter how fast she breathes. Her thoughts begin to blur. There is only one thing in her mind: _stay alive. _Thus, she grips her Blazefire Saber tighter, standing ready with her guards up and muscles tensed, ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of attack.

The attack comes in the form of another long-ranged sword attack from Yojimbo, the same one that he used to defeat Odin. The attack destroys the pillar that Lightning used as a cover, forcing her to roll away. Spotting Lightning, the bird swoops down at her, claws out. Lightning blocks them, but she falls on her back. Before she can stand up, the horse gallops towards her, trying to impale her torso with its electrical horn. _Not again._ Lightning raises her gunblade on time to block the horn, but since she had no time to cast Enthunder on it, the electric shock hits her. She clenches her teeth, refusing to groan. _Ignore the pain, or you'll get more!_ Trying to ignore the sting, she forces herself to move away, right when Yojimbo slams his sword down to the position where Lightning was a few seconds earlier.

Lightning quickly rolls up, casting her Firaga to the group of monsters. She begins to despise herself for running away again and again, but her main priority here is to stay alive. _For Serah_.

So she ducks again under the cover of the fallen pillars, regaining her strength. She is growing desperate. It's true that the horse and bird has almost lost their forms and Yojimbo begins to fade at the edges as well, but they are still as powerful and deadly. In contrast, she is drained and tired. To make matters worse, her magic has almost run out entirely. After that last Firaga spell, she can only cast one more Curaga spell to heal herself.

_Better safe than sorry. _With that thought, Lightning casts the Curaga spell on herself. She feels her strength returns and the sting from her last electrocution disappears.

Then something unexpected happens. The horse and bird freeze in spot, their forms begin to waver violently. Looks like they are near to their limits. Yojimbo, meanwhile, is at the far end of the room. Seeing her chance, Lightning shoots forward and attacks the weaker of the two, the bird. Unfortunately, Yojimbo manages to spot her and rushes with an unpredictable speed to block her attack. She exchanges blows with him, managing to slash him a few times thanks to her replenished strength from Curaga spell. However, the fight lasts longer than expected. Lightning does not get the chance to get away, and she is forced to exchange blows with Yojimbo continuously. She begins to tire. Her reflexes slow down, her mind fogged by exhaustion, and her blows lose strength. She begins to take some slashes on her arms and even shoulders. She ignores the burning sensation that creeps up her arms every time she blocks or attacks. Blood begins to flow down her arms.

This time, Lightning really feels desperate. If she doesn't get away from this sword fight, she'll surely die sooner or later.

_I won't die here!_

Just then, Yojimbo brings her sword down to Lightning. Lightning raises her gunblade to block the attack. Their blades lock in that position, each of them trying to push each other's blade away. In a normal situation, Lightning would've forced Yojimbo's blade away from her then cast a spell or two. She might even add in a few kicks. But this time is entirely different. Lightning is tired, her energy is drained, she has no more magic to use, not even to heal herself. And she has long ago passed her limits. As Yojimbo adds more pressure on his blade, Lightning's knees begin to buckle and the next thing she knows is that she is slammed to the ground, lying on her back.

Yojimbo stabs his sword down, hoping to end Lightning quickly. But Lightning regains her wits fast enough to move her body sideways. Instead of stabbing her torso, the blade enters the upper part of her right shoulder. Lightning bares her teeth in a grimace, once again stubbornly refusing to shout in pain. Blood pools out from her wound. With Lightning impaled to the ground, Yojimbo quickly raises his fist to punch her. Sensing mortal danger, Lightning acts without thinking twice. She moves her body away from Yojimbo's punch, even though the action has ripped her shoulder. Lightning closes her eyes for a few seconds, trying to ignore the pain. Then she quickly stands up and staggers away to create distance between herself and Yojimbo. Fresh blood flows down her arm. Lightning feels her arm going numb. _I won't survive another sword fight like this!_ Frustrated, Lightning clutches her injured shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.

Suddenly she feels a menacing presence behind her. Turning around, she sees the bird and horse behind her, their forms only mere shadows, but deadly as ever. Has she not been so drained and pained, she would've felt their presence earlier. Lightning tries to get away from the incoming attacks, but to no avail.

"_Time to end this," _says the bird. Then it lets out a powerful energy beam that hits Lightning's side. She feels her already-depleting energy getting sapped from her body, making her grunts. Then the bird disappears. However, his last attack leaves Lightning unable to move. The horse released its powerful electric bullet at Lightning. Since she cannot move, the attack hits her full-force.

This time, she cannot contain her shouts of pain as the electricity burn her insides, causing her body to convulse wildly. She shuts her eyes, grits her teeth, shouts, anything to lessen the pain. But nothing helps. The electricity keeps burning, and Lightning can only wait for it to end. It lasts for only a while, but for Lightning, those painful seconds feel like hours.

Finally, it ends. Lightning can see the ground coming towards her as she falls.

_Dammit… It hurts…_

Her fall occurs very slowly to her. In that period of time, she can see through her half-closed eyes that the horse has disappeared as well. Then suddenly Yojimbo is standing in front of her, his sword moves slowly towards her. She knows he is attacking, but the only thing she could do with her battered-up body is to tilt herself sideways. It isn't enough.

Even before Lightning's knees hit the ground, Yojimbo's attack comes. Sure, she manages to avoid instant death by her last effort to tilt herself sideways, but the sword still makes contact.

It enters Lightning's stomach in an angle and exits from her left waist.

The blade feels ice-cold to Lightning as it penetrates her body. To her, the blade goes through her body very slowly, every second feels like hours. The blade brings coldness and sharp pain she has never felt before with every inch it digs into her body. Then the cold feeling turns to burning as the blade exits through her waist, before finally turning to excruciating pain that spreads to her whole body. The pain, together with the blade, jerks her body upright to a standing position.

Lightning knows what will come next. Yojimbo will withdraw his sword from her body. Then she will die from blood loss.

_Death. If it means I can get away from this agony, then it doesn't sound so bad… _

With that thought, Lightning closes her eyes.

_Remember your promise._

Lightning's eyes snap open as Serah's last words to her echo in her mind. She fixed her gaze on the blade impaling her. Her determination returns. _I won't let myself die so easily._

Lightning grabs the blade with her hands, preventing it from being withdrawn. She can see Yojimbo's surprised face. Then she feels him trying to tug his sword out of her. Even the merest movement it makes causes great pain for Lightning. _Bear with it! _Lightning shouts in her mind. She doesn't loosen her grip on the blade.

Yojimbo scowls, trying to withdraw his sword again. By now, Lightning has begun panting. She needs oxygen to be able to bear the pain, but each breath she takes makes her flesh grits against the blade that is still in her body, and it is agonizing. She shuts her eyes, moaning. Yet she still doesn't let go of the blade, despite her hands have been shaking and bled in her effort to hold the sharp blade.

Yojimbo is angry. He tugs his sword one more time, drawing wet grunts to escape from Lightning's throat. But she still won't let go of the blade.

Yojimbo roars in frustration.

Then he withdraws his sword from Lightning's stomach in another way that she has never thought of.

Instead of pulling the sword straight out, Yojimbo slashes it sideways forcefully, tearing Lightning from her inside-out, creating a gaping wound that extends from the front of her stomach to her waist.

"Ahk…!" Lightning cries out as her stomach is being torn from the inside-out. She hears her blood gushes out, hears it splatters on the ground, hears it flowing down her body.

She hadn't thought of that. Then all her thoughts get drowned by a powerful wave of agony that quickly envelops her. She thought the pain before this cannot get worse, but she was wrong. This pain is thrice as painful as the previous one.

Lightning feels her knees buckle under her and she falls forward.

Yet, Yojimbo prevents her from hitting the ground again. He kicks her chin hard, forcing her to an upright position again. Then he kicks her chest powerfully. The blow forces out what little oxygen she has in her lungs and sends her flying across the room.

* * *

><p>Lightning coughs blood as her back is slammed to the wall. She feels it flows down her chin. Then she feels her body leaning forward and falls a few meters to the ground below. She doesn't try to protect herself. She is in too much pain to do anything now.<p>

This time, she makes contact with the ground.

The impact sends another wave of pain through her body. Her body folds into two involuntarily, shaking violently. A coughing fit hits her; blood spurts out between her lips. The sudden movement of her stomach caused by the coughing fit makes her wound throb violently, and it racks her to the core. Breathing has become very excruciating now, as each attempt to draw breaths is accompanied with torturing throbs of her wound.

In her pain-fogged thoughts, Lightning can only think of one thing. _Yojimbo will kill me if I just lie here._

With that, Lightning tries to crawl away. "Gah!" she shouts in pain as her action makes her stomach feels like it is being torn again.

"Guuuuhh…" gritting her teeth and holding her torn stomach with her arm, Lightning tries to move again. It's excruciating.

Lightning's blood begins to drip to the ground even with her effort to clutch her gaping wound with her arm. It creates a crimson pool beneath her body.

_I promised… Serah…and the others…_

Lightning tries to move again, stubbornly. This time, the wave of pain that hits her forces her to shut her eyes.

_I won't…leave Serah…alone…_

Lightning opens her eyes a little. Her vision has blurred. She can no longer see clearly.

Just then, she hears a voice shouting her name. A voice she has both longed and dreaded to hear in this place, in this situation.

"Lightning!"


	7. Chapter 7

I enter the room right when Lightning falls.

I stare at the terrifying scene before me.

Here I am, in the room where we found the sword, where we left Lightning to fight the horse and bird monsters. But this room is almost unrecognizable now. Pillars have fallen, ceilings have collapsed and the walls have caved-in. But the room's destruction isn't the one that attracts my attention.

It is the foreign monster standing at the center of the room that I am staring at. It looks like a samurai, with a long, sharp silver sword in his hands. And now he is stabbing that sword into the collapsing Lightning.

Everything seems to move very slowly to me. For some reason, I cannot move. It is as though my brain has forgotten how to move my limbs. As the samurai jabs his sword towards Light, I stare wide-eyed.

Then Lightning gets stabbed and my whole world crumbles before me. I see the blade shines white brightly as it enters Lightning's stomach. I see it exits through her left waist, now covered in deep red. _No. No… This cannot be happening!_

I see Lightning gags as the blade penetrates her stomach. I see her face twists in pain, before her body goes limp and she drops her gunblade, her eyes close. Before I even had the time to do anything, her eyes snap open again. I see a twinkle of azure light flashes in her eyes, before she grabs the blade protruding through her stomach, preventing the samurai from withdrawing it from her body.

I watch in horror as the samurai repeatedly tries to pull his sword out, each attempt seems to cause Lightning great pain. I hear her moaning; I hear her panting as the sword is tugged repeatedly. Yet she won't let go of the sword, even though I can see her hands are already trembling and bleeding in her effort. The samurai roars angrily.

Then something I've never dreamed of happens. The heartless samurai slashes his sword outwards, cutting Lightning from her inside-out.

I can never forget the sound made by the blade as it tears through Lightning's body, and Lightning's cry of pain that follows. I know those sounds will haunt me forever, in my dreams and thoughts.

The samurai swings his bloody sword sideways, splattering Lightning's blood on the ground.

Lightning buckles in pain, falling forward.

As though all this isn't enough, the samurai kicks Lightning's chin, driving her upwards. Then he continues with a powerful kick to her chest, sending her limp body flying to the room's far wall. This is when I regain control over my body, and I run to Lightning. _This is impossible! Light is… she can't be… this must be some kind of a…_

Lightning hits the far wall, blood spluttering from her mouth. Then she falls to the ground. I try to run faster, yet the distance between us is far.

I cannot bear watching Lightning like this! To see her body folds into two in agony, to see her shaking violently, to see her coughing blood, to see her torn stomach with her blood flowing out… It's too much for me…_ Light… Sis…_

Yet she tries to move! I can't believe this. I see her trying to get up, but then she cries out in pain and falls again. She keeps trying, and I can see her wound throb with each attempt.

_Stop it, Light!_

"Lightning!" I shout to her.

* * *

><p><em>No. This cannot be happening. Serah? What the hell is she doing here?<em>

Lightning lifts her head up, trying to see through her blurred vision. What she sees cannot be mistaken, even if she were blind at all. Serah. In the same room with Yojimbo. Running towards her.

Lightning's first thought is happiness. She is glad to be able to see Serah again. But then she feels an overwhelming fear as she realizes that Yojimbo is still in the room, despite his form has blurred and he seems to have only a few minutes to exist. But a few minutes is more than enough to attack and kill Serah. And if Serah dies, so will be Lightning's hope, purpose and reason to live.

Lightning's eyes open wide, her vision gets clearer, as she sees Yojimbo sheathes his sword then dashes towards Serah, fist raised. _NO!_

Lightning forces her body to stand up, only to collapse to the ground again as her wound throbs violently and her legs immediately go numb. "Argh..!" Lightning clenches her teeth in anger and frustration.

_Damn wound…_

Lightning knows there is no time; Yojimbo is coming to kill Serah! _No… not Serah…_

But before Lightning can get to her feet, Yojimbo has reached Serah and hit her hard, slamming her to the nearest wall. Serah lets out a scream of pain that hurts Lightning more than her wounds. Unsatisfied, Yojimbo draws his enormous fist back, ready to hit Serah again.

"STOP IT!"

In her anger, Lightning forgets about the pain. She stands up, immediately dashing forward before her body can get to feel the pain again.

Lightning runs towards Yojimbo, and he turns his head at her, a surprised look on his face.

_**Amazing. I've inflicted her with a fatal wound, yet she can still move, **_he thinks.

_**Well, you are going to die soon, anyway, so I'd better kill the little one first.**_

With that, Yojimbo turns his head back to Serah, raising his fist once again.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH SERAH!"

Lightning is way beyond enraged right now. Even though her wound throbs with each contact made by her left foot to the ground and her entire left side begins to feel like burning, she still doesn't stop running.

_No one is to hurt Serah while I'm here!_

With that thought in mind, Lightning shoots forward, holding in all the pain and ignoring it.

_**Hmph. Let's see how far you can run with that wound, **_Yojimbo scoffs.

He gathers all his power to his fist and brings it down upon the frightened body before him.

Lightning jumps forward with all her remaining strength.

* * *

><p>I remember running towards Light. I remember seeing her raising her head and looks at me. I remember seeing her blue eyes open wide, first with happiness, then with intense fear. Then I hear something moves beside me and I see a blur of movement. Then pain explodes in my head as something hits me, hard. I scream in pain as my body is slammed to the wall, bruising my back.<p>

I feel so scared. I know the samurai is right in front of me, preparing to kill me. _No!_

Then I hear someone shouts.

"STOP IT!"

I know that voice. I know it too well to mistake it for someone else's, even now, when my head is ringing, everything blurs and my senses go dull. Even though that voice sounds angry, but it fills me with a feeling of safety and relief.

_Sis…_

Then I hear the samurai's reply.

_**Well, you are going to die soon, anyway, so I'd better kill the little one first.**_

I open my eyes a little. What I see makes me let out a cry. The samurai is standing in front of me, his fist raised, ready to hit me and destroys my head.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH SERAH!"

_Light? _

I turn my head, right to see Lightning running towards me. I am frightened though. She looks furious, but her steps are wavering. Blood still flows down her left side from the gaping wound.

Then the samurai brings down his fist and I shut my eyes closed, anticipating the impact.

Yet it never comes.

Instead, I feel a presence in front of me.

This warmth, this feeling… I don't have to see to tell who it is…

I open my eyes.

Lightning. Right in front of me. After all this mess, now she is finally standing so near to me, within my reach.

"Light!" I call out to her. I see her turn her face slowly, saying something to me.

"D-don't worry… I told you… I won't let anyone hurt you… Serah…"

Once I see the blood flowing down her chin and to her neck, I realize that something is terribly wrong. I move my eyes down from Lightning's face.

And I see the samurai's fist on her stomach.

Lightning. She has taken the blow that was meant for me! She has protected me… again!

Before I have any time to say or do anything, the samurai bellows.

"_**How? How on earth can you still be standing? You are supposed to be dead! How many times must you defy me?" **_he shouts at Lightning. Light mutters something back, but it is too soft and I cannot hear it. It seems to have enraged the samurai though, since he lets out an angry roar then draws his fist back from Lightning's stomach. Doubtlessly I hear some things crack as he does it. Then Lightning's wound begins to bleed so badly her blood pools around her.

My attention snaps back to Lightning's face as I hear her breathing laboriously. She coughs even more blood, her torso shaking, her breaths ragged. Then she falls.

_NO! Why? Why, Lightning? Why must you protect me until like this? I don't want to be protected all the times! Can't you see that I want you to be safe, too?_

"Light!" I get up, reaching my hands out for her.

* * *

><p>Lightning manages to get herself between Yojimbo and Serah on time. She can feel Yojimbo's fist slams into her, as powerful as a sledgehammer. She can feel all the air in her lungs being forced out, and pain explodes in her midriff. Then she hears Yojimbo bellows.<p>

**"_How? How on earth can you still be standing? You are supposed to be dead! How many times must you defy me?"_**

****Lightning smirks. It's difficult to speak considering the pain and all the blood flowing through her lips, but Lightning manages to mutter her words.

"Heh…I told you…freak… no one is to hurt Serah… while I'm here!" she says with a smirk on her face.

Upon hearing this, Yojimbo roars angrily. He withdraws his fist. Lightning can hear some things crack as he does it. _Damn._

But inside her heart, Lightning feels contented. Serah is alive. Just a while longer, and Yojimbo will disappear for good.

_I win,_ Lightning thinks.

Then the wave of pain hits her, even more agonizing than before. There is no word to describe it.

Lightning feels her body shaking and her wound throbs painfully, blood flowing uncontrollably down her body and onto the ground, creating a pool around her. Blood also flows out of her mouth, to her chin and neck. Her lungs burn, begging for air. Yet, when Lightning tries to inhale, she feels an immense pain in her midriff that prevents her from inhaling. _I'll surely die without air. _Lightning tries to ignore the pain, inhaling air as much as possible, but suddenly her chest throb so painfully it makes her cough and forces out all the air she has, including more blood. The sudden movement of her cough hurts her stomach even more. Her breathing has gone way past ragged as she struggles to get air. Then she feels her energy running out and she falls to the ground with a thump.

Lightning hears Yojimbo roaring in rage again. She struggles to look up, and sees Yojimbo glaring back at her with his silver eyes full of rage and hatred.

Lightning sees Yojimbo reaches his hand out for her, then the next thing she knows is that she is slammed against the wall, Yojimbo's hand pressing her neck and chest tightly against the wall. Her feet do not touch the ground. Lightning cannot breathe. Darkness envelops her vision.


	8. Chapter 8

My hand was so close to Lightning when suddenly she disappears from my reach. I look up in shock and terror as the samurai grabs Lightning with his enormous hand and slams her, hard, to the wall, strangling her. I see Light trying to breathe, but she cannot. She chokes and gags, trying to break herself free. But the samurai is too strong; he keeps pressing Light against the wall. Suddenly Lightning stops moving. She is coughing, her blood flowing down to the samurai's hand. That's when I regain my wits and act.

"Release her!" I shout at the samurai. "Don't hurt her anymore!"

I quickly stand up, grabbing the samurai's arm and yank at it. Yet he is too big and strong for me. I cannot use magic either, since I have run out of it ages ago. I keep yanking and pulling, even kicking the samurai's body in my effort to free Light.

Then the samurai runs out of patience. He roars angrily, and with his left hand, sending a powerful Aerora spell at me. Before I know what is happening, I have been sent flying across the room, landing roughly on my back. I can feel something sharp scratches my shoulder. Then another spell hits me, pressing me tight against the ground and resisting my movements. _Stop spell. No way._

I try to wriggle myself free from the Stop spell, but I know that the spell is strong. I can do nothing much but to wait for it to fade. But I can't just lie here and do nothing!

"Lightning!" I shout, trying to move my head to a position where I can see her.

_I've got to help Light! She'll die if I don't! _

I begin thrashing wildly in my struggle to escape.

_Sis… please... hang on… _I keep begging her in my mind.

* * *

><p><em>No one… is to hurt Serah… while I'm here!<em>

"_**Then die,"**_ Yojimbo growls furiously. He strangles Lightning, ignoring her thrashing and blood that has flown down to his hand. _**You'll regret the moment you defy me!**_

Lightning can no longer see. Darkness has envelops her, but she can still feel everything. The pain, Yojimbo's hand on her throat, everything. But then she feels Yojimbo's grip loosen.

Immediately, Lightning inhales, trying to get as much air as possible. She tries to ignore the pain that stabs her midriff as she inhales. _Just bear with it… A little longer… He's busy with me now, he won't hurt Serah… then he'll disappear…_

Just then, Lightning hears a scream. _Serah?_

Lightning forces her eyes open, right to see Serah being thrown aback by Yojimbo's Aerora. She slides on the ground and finally stops. But Yojimbo then sends another spell at her direction. A Stop spell. The spell envelops Serah, preventing her to move. Lightning sees her sister thrashing wildly within the Stop spell, calling her name. It hurts Lightning not to be able to run to Serah, to break her free, to hug her tightly… _Serah…_

Lightning stares at her sister through her half-closed, tired eyes.

_At least Serah is safe... Looks like Yojimbo has realized that he cannot kill the two of us… with his remaining time…_

Lightning smirks.

"_**What's so funny? Don't you realize now is the time of your demise?"**_

"I'm not… gonna die here… freak…" Ligthning replies, still smirking.

Yojimbo's eyes narrow into slits.

"_**And how can you be so sure of that? Just take a look at yourself. You are dying!" **_Yojimbo spurts those words, shaking in rage.

"Because… I promised... Serah… and the others…"

Upon hearing this, Yojimbo loses his last drop of patience. He has run out of time, too. His form has begun to disappear.

Since he is using his right hand to strangle Lightning, he cannot reach for his sword. Hence, with his left hand, he pulls out a short knife from within his robe.

"_**Then you shall break that promise."**_

Yojimbo stabs the knife towards Lightning's head.

* * *

><p><em>Damn… My whole body hurts… I can't move…<em>

Lightning thinks angrily as she sees Yojimbo pulling out his knife.

She can feel her body shaking, she struggles to breathe, and her wound throbs painfully.

Her thoughts are pain-fogged.

She sees through her half-closed eyes that Yojimbo is stabbing his knife towards her head.

"_**Then you shall break that promise."**_

Lightning's eyes snap open fully as anger washes over her. _Not a chance._

With her last strength, Lightning lifts her right arm up.

* * *

><p>"Noooo! Lightning!" I shout in despair as I see the samurai pulling out a knife and stabbing it towards my sister's head. <em>No!<em>

But then I see her looking up. Her eyes… they are glaring, burning with intense anger. I shudder upon seeing it, even though that glare isn't directed to me. Something flashes in those eyes, and I think I recognize that stubborn look. The look Lightning always gives out whenever she has made a decision or promise and she wants to keep it.

Then her right arm shoots up, too fast to be followed by my eyes. A soft thump can be heard as the knife makes contact.

* * *

><p>Instead of stabbing Lightning's head and killing her, Yojimbo's knife stabs Lightning's upper right arm and gets stuck there, blood pooling out around it.<p>

Yojimbo stares in disbelief and rage as his body begins to dissolve into the air.

Lightning's eyes have closed, her face twists in a pained grimace, but she is still smirking.

"I win," she mutters.

Yojimbo throws his head back, roaring. Then he stares again at Lightning, hatred fills his silver eyes. Lightning opens her eyes a little and stares back into those emotionless orbs.

Yojimbo's body disappears. His head and hand were the last ones to disappear. He shouts his last furious words at Lightning.

"_**You may think you have won, but you haven't. Just wait. Your wounds are fatal. You chose your worthless sister over your own life, and you shall now perish! Die, and burn in hell, you foolish creature. I have never seen anyone so foolish as to throw his life away for someone else. Hadn't you protected her, you may be alive right now."**_

Lightning tries her best to speak, fighting the strong urge to pass out. "You may be right… but… life without Serah… isn't living at all."

Yojimbo falls silent upon hearing this.

"_**Then die."**_

"I won't die… I promised them…"

With those words, Lightning smiles contentedly, and gives up to the enveloping darkness.

Yojimbo just stares at her. _**"Heh… feisty female…you are indeed very stubborn and foolhardy." **_

Yojimbo turns his head, looking at Serah. _**"What's so special about that little creature that you live for her, formidable opponent?"**_

With that, Yojimbo disappears. His last words echo in the room.

"_**Then let's just see… Can you keep that foolish promise of yours?"**_

And he fades away without a trace.

Lightning falls to the ground with a thump, still smiling contentedly.


	9. Chapter 9

The moment Yojimbo disappears, the Stop spell fades too. I quickly get up and run towards Light.

_No…no…Light… please be okay…_

"Sis!"

I slide towards Light, kneeling beside her, cradling her head on my lap. Her eyes are closed, blood trickles down from her lips. I feel tears begin to flow down my face as I look at her gaping wound that still bleeds. It's hard to see through all the tears, but I can still see the countless cuts on her arms and the knife that is still stuck in her right arm.

"No… Lightning… Sis…" I whispered. My tears fall on her face. With trembling hands, I wipe them away, only to see more tears falling on her face.

I shudder as I remember her last words to me.

"_D-don't worry… I told you… I won't let anyone hurt you… Serah…_"

I sob. _But… you are hurt… in my place…_

"It's all my fault… My fault…" I sob. My tears keep falling on Lightning's face.

* * *

><p><em>It's dark… Am I dead?<em>

**Throb**

_No… I'm not… Death can't be this painful…_

**Sob**

_What was… that?_

**Sob**

Something cold falls on her face.

**Sob**

_These are… tears?_

Then something warm wipes her face.

_This touch… _

"It's all my fault… My fault…"

_Serah?_

Lightning's eyes begin to open. Everything is blurred, but she can still see the image of someone's face above hers.

Then Lightning shuts her eyes again as waves of pain wash over her, first through her stomach, then her midriff, then her arms. It's tormenting. Breathing is very difficult too, as each breath draws another wave of pain. _I mustn't stop breathing… I promised…_

Then another cold tear falls on her face.

Lightning's eyes open fully, only to see Serah bending over her, crying. Her eyes are shut, tears flowing down her face. She clenches her teeth in sadness and pain. It hurts Lightning more to see her sister in this state, crying, suffering…

"Se…rah… not your… fault… Serah…" Lightning manages to say.

Immediately those aqua eyes open.

* * *

><p>I stare wide-eyed at Lightning. Then relief dawns upon me and I can feel a smile spreads on my face.<p>

"Lightning! You're alive!"

"Of course… I… promised you…" she replies.

Then I come to my senses again. Lightning is badly injured, she may be alive now, but she'll die if I just sit here and do nothing! _But… There's nothing I can do… My magic has run out…_

Suddenly I feel Lightning's body shaking. Her body is getting cold… Her breaths are erratic. _No!_

I can only beg her to hang on.

"Sis… please… hang on… just a while longer! The others are coming! Hope and Vanille… they just had some Potions… They'll help you, sis, so please, hang on! Stay…with me…"

Tears cascade down my face again. I shut my eyes, unable to bear watching Lightning's face that twists in immense pain.

"Please, sis… Stay with me…" I begin running my fingers softly through her hair. "You've got to hang on… Help will come soon…"

Lightning doesn't reply me. She struggles to breathe, her eyes fluttering, trying their best to stay open. A soft groan escapes her lips.

"Light… please, Light…help is coming… so stay with me, okay?"

She struggles to comprehend my words; her tired eyes never leave my face.

"You are strong, right? You are Lightning! You're invincible, you even tear the sky! You can get through this, Light! It's gonna be…fine…" I try to sound convincing, like how she comforts me whenever I'm afraid. But my voice sounds too desperate and scared.

She looks up at me, and I think I see her smiling at my pathetic attempt to sound convincing.

"Then don't cry… Serah…" she says.

I wipe my tears. _Even now… In her state… She's always been the one that comforts me…_

I hug her body loosely, not wanting to hurt her more. I try to give her some warmth, like what she has always done to me in those cold, scary nights when I couldn't sleep. I can't care less about her blood staining my clothes. I bury my face in her shoulder. I can feel her heart beating in her ribcage, weakly. I begin to sob again.

"You've always been… a crybaby… Serah…"

Her words send me giggling hysterically.

"I can be anything when I'm with you… sis…" I reply to her, still burying my face in her shoulder.

"Crybaby," she whispers again.

"Stubborn," I reply.

"Forgetful."

"Hot-headed."

"Careless."

"Choosy."

"Naïve."

"Foolhardy."

Lightning's mouth opens and closes as she tries to think of a come-back and fails. I laugh into her shoulder, even though some tears still flow down my face. _Sis… You're always like this… You can always make me feel that everything's gonna be alright… Even in this situation…_

Then Lightning coughs blood again and I snap out of my thoughts.

I release her from my hug, afraid that I may be hugging her too tightly.

"Light?" I call her nervously.

She doesn't reply me anymore. Her eyes are closed.

"No! Light…Lightning! Wake up… please…!"

No answer.

"Hey, Light… You're…joking, right? Right? Come on… stop it… wake up…"

Tears run down my face as I look at her silent form.

_Why? Why am I always so… useless?_

Right then, an explosion echoes through the room and I hear the sound of people running towards us.


	10. Chapter 10

The others have finally arrived! They run into the room, Fang leading them.

"Serah!" I hear Vanille shouting for me. I realize they mustn't be able to see me because of the rabbles that separate us.

"Vanille! Hope! I'm here! Behind the rabbles! Come quick!" I shout back at them, my hands still hugging Lightning. I look down at her. To my relief, her eyes are fluttering and she is stirring softly. _You're alive…_

Then an Aerora spell hits the rabbles and they are scattered to the other end of the room.

I can see all of our friends now, running fast towards us. They look relieved to see me okay.

Hope reaches me first, shouting "Serah! You're okay! Where's…"

His words stop as he sees Lightning in my arms.

His expression changes from relieved to shocked to disbelief to horrified. His face becomes very pale; his mouth opens and closes, as his brain tries to register the situation. A soft whimper comes from his lips.

"Lightning…"

The others have reached us too. They stand aghast, terror fills their faces.

"What happened…?" Fang asks; her eyes open wide in shock, fear and disbelief as she stares at Lightning's torn stomach.

I tell them about the samurai and the fight as quickly as possible.

"We were wrong! Lindzei really set his strongest monsters in this room! When I arrived, Lightning has defeated the horse and the bird because they were nowhere in sight, but there was also this foreign samurai monster… Stronger, faster and smarter than any other monster! He was… stabbing Light with his sword… that's when I came… and then he attacked me…

Light… she tried to protect me and… and…" My tears flow uncontrollably now. "And the samurai hit her! The blow was meant for me, but she… and then… I don't know why… the samurai just disappeared… but… Light is…"

Fang approaches me. "Tell us the complete story later. Now we've got to work fast!"

She takes Lightning from my clutch and lays her on the ground.

"Guuh…" Lightning moans as Fang moves her body.

"Don't worry, Light. We're here. You're gonna be okay…" Fang tries to comfort her, but her voice is trembling as well.

"All right, now," Fang turns her gaze to Sazh, Snow and Hope who are standing close together, their faces pale and terrified. "I know you boys are very lucky to be here, but I need you to _control your thoughts. _Understand?"

I don't get what she is saying, and judging from their faces, Sazh, Snow and Hope don't, too. But Fang's gaze is so intimidating. Almost as scary as Light's, so they just mumble 'yes' and nod.

Fang then turns back to Lightning and begins unclasping her overcoat.

Hope's face immediately goes red as he realizes what Fang is doing. I know Fang's right though, to remove Lightning's overcoat so we can reach her wounds.

Underneath, Lightning only wears her brown turtleneck that leaves her stomach bare for us to see. Hope's face becomes even redder as he looks at Lightning. Sure, her stomach is slim and muscular, but her wounds really take us aback.

Lightning's stomach is a mass of blood. The wound tears the front of her stomach and continues to her left waist. It is throbbing, blood flows out with each throb. But this is not all. Next to the wound, Lightning's midriff is full of bruises from countless internal bleeding. Doubtlessly, Yojimbo has broken some of her lower ribs when he punches her. Lightning's broken ribs are pressing against her skin from underneath, threatening to jut out. Besides all this, her arms and hands are full of cuts and there is a particularly nasty wound on her right shoulder, not to mention the knife that is still stuck in her right arm.

Lightning has been gravely wounded. I sob as I look at her wounds. Beside me, Fang throws her face away from Lightning, her teeth clenched in anger, her eyes shut.

Vanille has knelt down beside me, crying as well. She tries not to look at Lightning's injured form. Sazh and Snow, too. They avert their gaze from Light, sadness fills their faces.

Hope is the only one that still looks at Lightning. He is no longer blushing now as he stares wide-eyed at Lightning's wounds. I think I see his eyes begin to water. This is too much for him… First his mother, then now Lightning… I know he must be terribly shaken to see Light in this condition…

Lightning has been some sort of a mentor to Hope. His role-model. Not only that, she has even been some kind of an older sister to Hope, too. After his mother died, Lightning has been protecting him, giving him hope, giving him the strength to move on. She teaches him to fight. She risks her life to protect him in Palumpolum. I know Hope fears Lightning at first because of her intimidating appearance, but he told me once that even from the beginning, he has been admiring her for her courage and fighting skills. Now, he not only admires Lightning, but he also loves her. A sibling kind of love, just as how I love Lightning. I observe him gazing at Lightning whenever he says his opinion, as though asking for her agreement. In battles, he fights close to her, as though looking for the protection and safety Lightning always gives to everyone around her in battles. Or maybe, he is trying to impress her with his developing fighting skills. I know he wants Lightning to be proud of him. He wants to show everyone that he is now able to fight, thanks to Lightning's teaching. And he wants to express his gratitude to Light, even though he still doesn't know how.

I felt a bit jealous when I realized all of this, of course, but I know there's actually nothing to be jealous of. Sure, Lightning cares about Hope, but she cares about me and everyone else in the group, too. Lightning has the kindest of heart, even though she looks cold and distant at first. She is… the most selfless person in the world… She'll do anything, risk everything when it comes to the safety of those she cares about, even to the point of risking her own safety. Hope must have understood this by now, too.

And now Lightning is badly injured. Our protector, the one person both of us think is invincible, the one person that we believe will always be there for us, is now injured.

Hope has lost his mother once, and he has left his father at Palumpolum. The person he is closest to in the group is Lightning. Seeing her like this, wounded, in pain, and probably even dying… it must be too much for Hope.

_No! I mustn't think like this! Light will be okay… She'll survive… she promised!_

I look up at Hope and Vanille. "Well? Can you two heal her?"

Upon hearing my words, the others look at me, pain fills their faces. Vanille puts her hands

on my shoulder as Fang stands up and looks at me. Her face is pained, her hands are trembling.

"It's no use, Serah… She is gravely wounded. I don't think any spell can save her now…"

I stare at her in disbelief. "It can't be true! Lightning is strong! She just talked to me… She was okay until just now! She is strong! You know her, Fang!"

I stare in disbelief into Fang's sad eyes. I realize the others must have agreed with her too, from their sad faces.

But we can't just do nothing!

"Please… Hope, Vanille… Can you two please try? Light is strong… Her power is immeasurable! Even I don't know the full extent of her strength. I believe she can survive this! Please… just…try…"

But they all just look at me in silence.

"Serah, that's enough…" Vanille says. "She's suffering, she is in great pain… If we try healing her, she must live through painful recovery period afterwards, and the chance of her… not surviving… is still high. Serah…just…let her rest…"

I can't believe my ears. I know the others care about Light, I can't blame them for thinking that way, I know they are actually showing their love towards Lightning, even though they are very sad… But…

"Vanille! Hope!" I shout at them, tears of anger fill my eyes. "You two are our best spell casters! I believe you two are able to save her! We can't just sit here and do nothing… Lightning must be wanting us to save her! She has been saving our lives all the time, and now it's our turn… Please… I know she wants to live…"

"Serah!" Fang shouts at me. "Do you think she would like to feel more pain? She has been through hell! Don't you think it's enough? Do you really think she wants to go through more pain, just for a small chance of surviving?"

I stare at her, unable to answer. I hadn't really thought that way… If my wish of Lightning's survival will only lead her to experience even more pain, then… shouldn't I just… let her rest, like Vanille said? Am I really willing to let Lightning suffer more, just because I need her, just so that I can be with her again, if she survives? That would be twisted and selfish of me... Maybe I should just… let her…go…

Right then, suddenly Lightning's hand shoots up, grabbing my shirt and pulls me close to her. I stare in shock into her blue eyes. Those eyes are now burning with fearsome intensity, like blue flames.

"Heal me," she growls. "I'll live."

We all stare at her in surprise. But her eyes speak all. She wants to live. She doesn't care what it takes, she won't die.

Lightning's determination reassures us. Hope and Vanille immediately act. They approach Lightning.

"Move outta their way, Serah!" I feel Fang's arms around me and I am suddenly pulled away from Lightning. "You'll only disturb them if you sit there." I look up at her, and see her smirking. "Heh. As expected from Light."

Snow comes to us. "I told you, Fang. She's too stubborn to die."

Sazh approaches us too, and says, "Hey, shouldn't you just stay with Lightning? I believe she wants you to be with her… You can comfort her without disturbing our Medics right?"

I know he is right. I wriggle myself free from Fang's clutch and approach Lightning again, cradling her head on my lap. Hope and Vanille look up at me, but they don't seem to mind my presence. They nod at me, and I reply them.

Hope and Vanille begin to work. The green Curaga spells form in their hands, and they join their two spells to make a blue, powerful healing spell. They press it against Lightning's wound. I look down at her face. She shuts her eyes, but I know she is awake. She is just trying to suppress the pain. I know she doesn't want to pass out, fearing that she won't wake up again. Her face is covered in cold sweat from all the suppression.

I turn my gaze to Hope and Vanille. To my horror, they look confused, then their expression quickly turn to terrified.

"What's wrong?" Sazh asks them. He has noticed their expression, too.

"No way! It's not working!" Hope shouts in frustration as he creates another Curaga in his hands. Vanille is doing the same thing. All of us watch them as they press the spells against Lightning's torn stomach. Usually, the wound will stop bleeding. Then it will start to close slowly, depending on the power of the applied spell. But now, nothing happens. The bleeding doesn't stop, the wound doesn't close.

Frowning in despair, Vanille tries healing the cuts on Lightning's arms. Still, nothing happens.

"There must be something in that samurai's sword that prevents the wound from being cured!" Vanille howls in frustration and fear. "It means…"

I feel terribly scared. _No… if they can't use their magic, then… Light will surely be…_

"Is there no other way?" Fang demands. I know she actually really wants Light to recover, just as much as I do.

"Actually… we can change the structure of the spell…" Vanille starts hesitantly.

"And…?" Fang pushes her.

"And instead of providing her with external energy to heal the wound, we can give additional internal energy for her body to heal the wounds by itself… but…"

We wait for her next sentence impatiently.

"But it will mean we have to treat her wounds manually first, without any spell, then casts some healing spells on her to help her recover."

"Just do it! It's the only way!" I answer immediately.

But Hope looks up at me, worry and fear fills his face.

"We have to force her ribs back to their original positions before we bandage it if that's the case, Serah," he says. "And it will be excruciating."

I fall silent. I hadn't thought of that.

I don't know what to do anymore. I just sit there, mouth agape, trying to answer Hope. But no answer comes to my mind.

Just then, Lightning decides to choose by herself again. Her eyes snap open, and she stares at Hope and Vanille.

"Just do it," her voice barely audible, but her eyes are stern. "I'll be okay."

And she smiles, so confidently, that all of us immediately feel that everything will really be okay.

"Can you really bear with it, Light?" Vanille asks, her voice thick with worry.

Lightning smirks. "It's not a question of can or can't… some things in life you just do."

Hope grins upon hearing this, despite his tears begin to fall.

"All right, then… Serah, you'd better stay with her, okay, try to comfort her as much as possible… this will hurt…" Vanille whispers to me. I nod, beginning to run my hand through Lightning's soft hair.

"It's okay, Light… You can get through this…" I'm glad to hear my voice doesn't tremble. Lightning closes her eyes, expecting the pain.

Hope and Vanille observe Lightning's midriff, sometimes pressing her ribs gently. Each time they do this, I can feel Lightning tenses a little, but she doesn't show any other sign of pain.

"Lucky, I think only four ribs are broken… the lowest ribs… so her heart and lungs shouldn't be damaged." Vanille mutters.

She looks up at me, nodding. They'll start soon.

Hope positions his hand on Lightning's waist, his thumb and forefinger placed against the first jutting rib. He blushes slightly, but his eyes are serious. Vanille does the same thing beside him.

And they begin forcing the first jutting rib into its original position.

Immediately Lightning tenses, her fists clenched, her teeth bared in a grimace. I know she is suppressing a scream. I feel so scared!

"Hang on, Light!" I say over and over again to her. "Please… Be strong…"

Hope and Vanille look nervous and panic as they force the next rib into its position.

A long and low cry of pain escapes Lightning's lips, but she quickly suppresses it.I can't bear watching her in pain like this… I begin crying again. Beside us, I can feel the others standing, stern with worry and fear.

Lightning lets out another suppressed cry.

"It's okay, Light, it's okay… They're half-done… You can get through this…!" I say to her.

Another rib is fixed. By now, Lightning is drenched in cold sweat and blood begins to flow out from her mouth. Her fingers create indents on the ground as she claws at it in pain.

"Guuuuuh…!" Lightning groans, but she still refuses to scream.

"Light, Light, listen to me! They are almost done, just one more and you can rest! Please Light, stay with me!" I beg her, holding her face, trying to comfort her.

Hope and Vanille, frantic and scared, force the last rib into its position.

"AAAHHHK!" Lightning roars, blood spluttering from her mouth, her hands clench into fists.

"Light, sis, they're done! Everything's over… You can rest now!" I say to her desperately.

"Uuuugh…" Lightning is panting, her chest heaves up and down as fast as possible considering her broken ribs.

Hope and Vanille immediately cast some spells on her, and I can hear her breaths slow down to a normal rhythm. I exhale in relief when I see Lightning opens her eyes a little, staring at me. Her eyes look so tired, cold sweat still flows down her brows and her cheek. A splashing sound makes me look up, and I see Sazh is casting a Water spell to a piece of cloth held by Fang.

"Here," she gives it to me. She looks pained, too, after seeing Lightning suffering like that.

I use the cloth to wipe the sweat and blood from Lightning's face. Then I pass it back to Fang and Sazh, who wet it again and pass it to Vanille. Vanille uses it to clean the wound on Lightning's stomach.

Wet grunts escape Lightning's throat as her torn stomach is being cleaned. Luckily, the bleeding has slowed down now.

"Don't worry, soldier," Sazh speaks up. "It will only sting for a while…" The chocobo chick in his afro pops out, chirping at Lightning. I see Lightning's eyes move to look at Sazh and his chocobo chick, and she gives a faint, tired smile.

"We have bandage, right?" Hope asks, his eyebrows frown in agitation.

"Yeah, here." Snow takes out the bandages that we bring and tosses them to Hope, who catches it.

"Can someone lift her body up a little… so we can bandage the wound?" Vanille asks.

Immediately Fang comes forward, kneels, and places her hand on Lightning's back. She then lifts Lightning's torso up.

"Thanks… Fang…" Lightning mutters.

"Heh. No big deal." Fang scoffs, smirking. I know she must be feeling relieved to hear Lightning talks, but she just covers it. Vanille's words echo in my mind: "_I know Fang respects Lightning, and she cares about her, but she just… can't express it clearly…" _

I smile softly.

Hope and Vanille hurriedly wrap the bandages around Lightning's stomach and midriff. Blood stains it immediately, but then it stops. I huff in relief.

Then Vanille looks up with a nervous expression on her face.

"What?" Fang asks.

"Urm… It's nothing… I just… I'm scared to pull the knife out…"

My attention shifts to the knife that is protruding from Lightning's upper right arm, above her armbands. It seems to be stuck deep… I gulp. I hope they won't ask me to pull it out…

"Hmm, so what do you want, 'Nille? I can't pull it out for ya. I'm no Medic, I might make the wound worse…" Fang says thoughtfully.

"I'll do it."

We all look at Hope. He is shaking, but his eyes look determined.

"Great," Fang says, and steps back. I nod too, and Hope approaches Lightning's arm. Lightning's eyes are following him.

He looks back into those blue orbs nervously.

"I'm sorry, Light… This will hurt, but Vanille will cast the healing spell as soon as she can…so…"

Lightning blinks and mutters a "Just get it over with."

Hope nods, places his hand carefully on Light's arm and wrap his other hand on the knife's hilt. Then he pulls it out slowly, so as not to widen the wound.

Lightning grits her teeth, but she keeps her arm relaxed so Hope can pull the knife out easier.

"Just a bit more, Light," Fang says.

Then the knife leaves Lightning's arm, covered in crimson. Hope passes it to Fang, then preparing to cast healing spells to the open wound while Vanille is cleaning it with the cloth. The cloth is entirely stained in red now. After Hope casts the spells, Vanille wraps Lightning's arm with bandage. Then they begin cleaning her ripped shoulder, remove her gloves and repeat the procedure with the other cuts. As they work, I keep whispering soothing words to Light.

* * *

><p>Finally, everything's done. Hope and Vanille stand up, tired and panting. Their hands are bloody, but Sazh and Snow help them clean it with their Water spells. Then Vanille looks at me.<p>

"All right, now's your turn, Serah!" she says cheerfully. Looks like the fear and worry have begun to fade, now that we have treated Light's injuries.

I stare at her, confused.

Vanille shakes her head, then approaches me and turns me around. Before I can do anything, she has cast Cura on my scratched shoulder.

"Oh… right… Thanks!" I say to her.

"You're welcome!" Vanille answers happily. I can feel the scratches close and the sting disappears. _Light… How much more pain have you actually suffered?_ I think sadly.

"Thank you…guys…"

We all turn to that voice that we have all missed so much. Lightning's.

She looks at us with her tired eyes, her left hand holding her bandaged stomach. Her entire stomach has been bandaged, as well as her right arm and shoulder. As for her left arm, only the hand and forearm are bandaged as the upper arm and shoulder are not injured.

Before I know what I am doing, I'm already kneeling besides Lightning, hugging her lightly, crying in happiness and relief.

"No…thank _you,_ sis…" I sob.

"Glad you're still alive, Light!" Fang smirks at Lightning.

"I told you, she's too stubborn to die!" Snow laughs.

"At the end, you really keep your promise not to die, huh," Sazh mumbles.

"And you beat those monsters!" Vanille adds.

"But you were too reckless, Light… You shouldn't push yourself like that!" Hope says, worry still fills his face.

I release Light and I see her already fallen asleep.

I smile. "She must be very tired…"

Upon seeing Lightning asleep, the others' smiles fade and a worried look replace our smiles. We know Lightning is still in critical condition, but we smiled to comfort her, to make her feel that everything's fine. Now that she is asleep… We don't have to fake smiles anymore. We stare at her battered-up form in worry and sadness.

_Light…please… stay alive…_ I pray in my mind.

"Alright, we shouldn't spend more time in this place! Let's go!" Fang says. She lifts Lightning up effortlessly, just like how Light lifts me up whenever I need it. And Fang carries Light in her arms, leading us to leave the room. Hope quickly picks up Lightning's overcoat and brings it with him.

I throw a last glance into the room, where our fates have almost been changed forever. I can still see Lightning's blood on the ground and the wall. I shudder. _I almost lost my sister here…_

I shudder again at the thought.

_Please don't die… sis…_

* * *

><p>Night has fallen. It's full moon tonight, and it provides us with silver light that makes it easier to walk in the wilderness of Archylte Steppe.<p>

Lightning is still asleep, her head resting on Fang's shoulder. Fang walks slowly so as not to shake Lightning too much and hurt her further. I walk beside her; my eyes never leave Lightning's face. Sometimes a groan of pain escapes her lips. Snow and Sazh are walking in front. Every time there is a monster that gets attracted to us by the lingering scent of Lightning's blood, Sazh and Snow take care of them for us. Hope and Vanille are too tired; they walk slowly behind with Fang and me. Vanille whispers to Fang, the two of them converse as they walk.

I look at Hope. He looks wan and worried. Sensing my stare, he looks up at me. He looks so sad and scared that I think I need to comfort him a little.

"Don't worry," I say to him. "Light's gonna be okay. She won't die… she promised."

"I'm not scared that she will die… I know she won't…" Hope answers with trembling voice. "I'm just thinking about all the pain she must have gone through during the fight, the healing process… and the pain she will have to go through during her recovery period…"

I fall silent. I've been thinking of that, too.

"Yeah… me too, Hope…"

"Why? Why must she fight that hard?" Hope asks me.

I keep quiet for a while, thinking.

"Maybe because… she can't let those monsters get pass her and chase after us."

Hope smiles a little.

"She's always like that," he mutters. "Doing absolutely anything to protect people she cares about…" He pauses for a while. "Well, that means you," he says to me, a sad smile spreads on his face.

"No," I answer him immediately. "Not just me."

He looks up at me.

I laugh. "She does it for everyone here, Hope. She cares about all of us. Might not look like it at the outside because she's not good with words… She doesn't talk much… but just observe her actions, and you can tell that she cares."

"Do you think…" Hope says, looking away. "Do you think she is proud of me…?"

"Of course." I smile. "Look at her. She lets you fight alongside her instead of behind her, right? That means she acknowledges your fighting skills. Maybe you don't realize, but every time you perform well in a battle, she always nods… sometimes even smiles a little... at you. Sure, she doesn't want you to see it, but I saw it. Relax, Hope, she is proud of you! You're her first, only, and best subordinate." I wink at him. I feel happy to see him beaming.

"But why doesn't she want me to see it?" Hope asks, confused.

I just laugh. "Why do you think? She is shy! Lightning is always shy to show feelings that she thinks are 'too emotional and unnecessary'. Quite cute at times, though." I wink again at him. He laughs, too.

"Yeah… Light can be very cold and intimidating, but actually she has the kindest of heart…" he mutters, still smiling.

I nod, agree with him. Then suddenly I grin as I have an idea to make Hope blush again.

"Wow, but I've never thought Fang would strip my sister in front of everyone like that… I know it was okay, because she still has her turtleneck underneath and the action was needed, but still…" I laugh, silently eyeing Hope.

Mission accomplished! He is blushing like a tomato! I suppress a giggle. I want to tease him further.

"What do you think of Light, Hope? Do you like her?"

"What…what…?" he asks, still a bit nervous from my last statement.

I repeat my question.

"Of…of course I like her! She is kind; she teaches me to fight, she always helps me and protects me… without asking anything back…She gives me hope and strength… everything I need. She is like… like… an older sister to me…" he blushes again, looking away, afraid of my reaction.

I laugh, punching his shoulder playfully.

"No need to be afraid of me, Hope! I don't mind that you think of her that way!" I giggle. "She is always caring towards people that are precious to her… Too bad not many people know and understand her that way."

Hope laughs too.

I steal glances at him. He looks happy, now that I've reassured him that Light is proud of him and that she cares about him too.

I walk beside Fang again, looking at Lightning's face. She is frowning in her sleep, and I know she is still in pain. _What will you do if you know I just told Hope about your thoughts of him?_ I ask her in my mind. I know, she'll surely get mad at me, but she can't get mad for too long. Soon she'll forgive me. And if it can make the sad Hope happy again, then I think I can stand a few hours of scolding and anger.

Suddenly we hear Snow's voice.

"Guys! We're here! We have reached the basecamp!"

We walk into our basecamp, exhaling in relief and exhaustion. This has been an extremely long and rough day.

Fang lays Lightning carefully on the mattress. She is covered in cold sweat, and the wound on her stomach seems to have bled a little more.

"Oh, no…" Hope whispers as he looks at Lightning.

Sazh hands me the wet cloth again, and I wipe Lightning's face with it.

That's when I realize her body is warm… too warm.

"Guys! I think Light has a fever…"

Fang immediately comes to us, pressing her forehead against Light's. Lightning tenses a little at the sudden contact.

"Yep, Light here's got fever," she announces, standing up. "What do you think, 'Nille? What can we do?

Vanille thinks for a while, frowning.

"I don't think we can do anything much to help her… Maybe the fever is from the wound on her stomach… For now, just put the cold cloth on her forehead and let her rest…" she says, shaking her head sadly. She looks at me.

"I'm sorry I can't do much, Serah… But since we can't use any spell on her wounds… We can only use the normal methods…"

"No, no, don't be, Vanille! Without you and Hope, Light would have… would have…" I can't continue my words. Vanille seems to understand though, because she smiles, despite sadly, and nods.

I put the cloth on Lightning's forehead, brushing aside her bangs. Her breathing is ragged. I look at her sadly, then stand up to help the others making the campfire. Once it's done, all of us sit around it, exhausted.

"What a day," Sazh grunts. The others huff and exhale loudly. No one else talk. We just stare into the fire, worried looks on our faces. No one has ever thought that this day can end like this. With Lightning hurt and all… it is so different from our expectation in the afternoon, when we thought that all we had to do is to break a sealing spell and free Lightning.

We keep staring into the fire. Yes, it's true that we are sitting around the fire with the sword and everyone alive, but Lightning is badly injured… She does fulfill her promise, but at what price? All this just doesn't end well. I sigh.

We sit there until late night, watching over Light. Then as the moon creeps higher and higher above our heads, we fall asleep, one by one. I crawl besides Lightning, careful not to touch her and hurt her more. I just want to lie down beside her, to feel her presence near me. I reach out my hand, placing it under Light's. I fall asleep quickly, considering my exhaustion. The last thing I saw was Fang, still awake, sitting near the fire and frowning at the cold moon. Sometimes she stares at Lightning, sadness in her face.


	11. Chapter 11

I wake up the next day when the first ray of sunshine hits my face. I breathe in deeply without opening my eyes, wandering back to my dream world for a few more minutes. Then I become conscious of Lightning's hand on mine. It feels a bit cold. Everything that happened yesterday comes rushing back to me. My eyes snap open as an image of Lightning's injured form flashes back to me. I turn my head to look at her.

There she is, lying beside me. She looks as though she is sleeping, if not for the bandages around her body and her ragged, laborious breathing. She seems to be struggling so hard to take each breath. Under her eyelids, her eyes are moving fast, nervously. I extend my hand to touch her forehead, and find out that her fever has not subsided. I sigh, sitting up, taking the cloth on Lightning's forehead and use a Water spell to wet it again. As I wipe her face carefully, I hear the others beginning to wake up. I look over my shoulders and see Fang stirring gently, Vanille still fast asleep beside her. Sazh, though, has begun blinking and shaking his head. Hope is groaning as his face is struck by sunlight, while Snow is still snoring loudly as usual. I smile a little, turning my attention back to Lightning.

As the sun shines brighter, all of us are awake. Hope and Vanille, despite still looking a bit pale, insist on casting more healing spells for Lightning.

"How's Light?" Fang asks; her face somber.

"Not so good…" Vanille answers. "Her high temperature hasn't come down… I don't know about her wounds; we cannot open the bandage to check them just yet." She continues casting Curaga on Lightning's stomach, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. Lightning still breathes laboriously. Hope isn't having any better luck, either.

"I think we should just let her rest," Sazh suggests. "I mean, it's only been a day. We can't expect her to get better overnight… Not with that kind of wounds." He winces.

All of us agree with him, and soon we are all up and ready for the day. Sazh and Fang set off to search for food, while Snow and Hope scout around our basecamp to ensure that no predators are around. I stay with Lightning to watch over her, in case her conditions deteriorate. Vanille stays with me. I tell her to get some more sleep, because she still looks tired and her magic will surely be needed again sooner or later. She has to rest to replenish her magic and strength. So I sit beside Lightning all day, holding her hand and wipe her face sometimes. I'm so worried about her. I really hope she'll recover…

* * *

><p>As the sun sets, I hear footsteps coming. I turn around, right to see Fang and Sazh walking towards me. They bring a large pouch that we have made from the hide of a Behemoth before, full with food. They put it on the usual place beside the campfire that hasn't been lit. Sazh drops himself with a huff on the ground. His huff wakes Vanille up, who immediately smiles upon seeing that Fang is back.<p>

Fang grins back at Vanille, before looking at me and says with her sharp tone, "How's Light?"

I shake my head, and she just exhales and leaves to sit beside Vanille.

A few moments later, Snow and Hope return, carrying firewood with them. We start our campfire and begin cooking our dinner. We eat in silence. Then Fang speaks up.

"I think it's time for you to tell us completely what happened, Serah."

I raise my head slowly. To be honest, I don't want to remember anything about that day… ever again. But they all have the right to know what really happened. So I just sigh and begin telling them the complete story.

* * *

><p>"Let me clarify some things," Fang says after I finish talking. She has remained quiet as I talk, but I observe that her fists are clenched tightly. "This… samurai, he just disappeared? Before even slitting Lightning's throat nor yours?"<p>

I wince a little upon hearing her blunt statement.

"I think the samurai has some kind of a time limit to exist… Lightning has fought him and held him up for quite a long time, and she managed to avoid being killed every time the samurai attacked. That's why at the end he ran out of time and disappeared. Lightning won."

"Won, sure," Sazh says bitterly, his hands busy feeding his chocobo chick.

Fang falls silent, before asking me again. "You said Lightning took the samurai's punch for you. Was the punch very powerful?"

I shudder again at the memory. Why must Fang be asking all of these questions, anyway? I don't want to remember anymore!

Yet I still answer her. "I'm sure it was powerful. Hell, it broke her ribs, Fang!" I half-shout at her. She doesn't seem to notice my raised voice though. Instead she just averts her gaze, as though she is in a deep thought. Then she looks at me again.

"And she didn't fall on you after being hit?" she asks again.

"No."

This time, Fang seems to be taken aback. She glances at Lightning, before looking back at me.

"Are you telling me that… not only has Light taken the blow, but she also remembered that you were behind her and thus stood her ground and stopped herself from falling on you, despite the damn blow has broken her ribs?"

My head shoots up as I register her words. _She is right… Lightning…_

"Ye-yes…" I stutter as I answer her, my mind still in shock upon this realization.

Fang raises her eyebrow. "Wow, that's so… so…"

"Foolhardy," I finish her sentence. Fang nods. I stare at the ground, feeling so guilty and useless.

_Had I not been so useless… Light may be in a better condition now… Why? Why must she always try to protect me anyway, even risking her life for me?_

The answer comes to me as Lightning's words to the samurai echo in my mind.

"_Life without Serah… isn't living at all…"_

I can feel tears begin to flow down. _But my life is worthless without you, too, sis…_

I clench my fists, trying to hold them in. But soon they begin falling on my fists as well.

Then I feel someone hugging me, whispering comforting words.

"It's okay, Serah, it's okay… Everything's gonna be alright…"

Vanille. As always.

Fang opens her mouth again when she sees me crying, as though she wants to say something. But Vanille interrupts her.

"Fang."

Fang closes her mouth again, looking at Vanille with a curious expression.

"Enough, Fang. Leave her alone. I'll handle this," Vanille says as she pats my back.

Fang shrugs, stands up and leaves. I see her sitting down behind a rock a few meters away, her back resting on it. The only thing I can see of her is the silhouette of her lance, her right arm and a portion of her face. Her jade-colored eyes are gazing at the night sky.

The others stand up, too, awkwardly. Sazh mumbles something about taking care of his chocobo chick, Snow says he wants to take some walk and Hope mutters something about checking Lightning's condition. I know they are actually letting me to have some privacy. Not that I care, though. But it's still better to be left alone in this kind of situation. I watch as all of them scatter in different directions.

"Don't mind Fang," Vanille starts, but I keep my head down and don't answer her. "She is always so blunt with her words. But I know, all she wants was to clarify why and how Lightning could get hurt so badly. I told you, she cares about Light and she thinks Light is a formidable fighter, her match… so it's a bit hard for her to take this situation."

I nod. "I'm not upset because of what Fang said, Vanille… I'm upset because…"

I stop, gritting my teeth angrily.

"Because…?"

"Because I'm so useless!" I shout. "I'm just a burden! I couldn't do anything to help Lightning… Instead, I made the situation worse by entering that room! Had I not gone there in the first place… Light wouldn't have had to take that blow for me…" I stop.

"…I might as well be the one clobbering her. It's all my fault from the beginning… had I stopped her from fighting alone, all of this wouldn't have happened," I add, remorse and sadness swirling furiously inside me.

Vanille huffs, adjusting her sitting position so she is now facing me. I look into her brilliant green eyes.

"First of all, Serah, it wasn't your fault," she starts. "It was no one's fault. Not yours, not Lightning's, not ours. We left Light to fight alone back there not because we were ignorant, but because it was the right thing to do that time. We didn't know that the only thing we have to fight on our way outside was that Adamantoise, right? And none of us thought about the possibility of a stronger monster like that samurai appearing before Lightning. Not even Light herself… it was a totally freaky accident, one that we cannot predict. We already did what was best in that situation, but still it went wrong. It was something we cannot do anything about. You may call it bad luck. It was no one's fault."

Vanille stops, but when I don't answer her, she continues.

"I know you must feel guilty no matter how much I say that it wasn't your fault, but try thinking about it this way: by feeling guilty, you are actually proving that you love Lightning so much, that you care about her. It's good that you feel guilty. Feeling guilty is the right thing to do now, even I feel guilty. Everyone here does. But we mustn't let this guilt stops us from doing things that can do better good for Light, such as healing her and watching over her until she recovers. If you can do that, Serah, then I'm sure you are not guilty at all."

She puts her hand on my shoulder.

"And about you running into the room… I would say that you actually saved Lightning's life by doing so. From your story, I guess that if you didn't come, the samurai would've killed Light while she was still immobilized by pain… You provided her with the distraction she needed. And your presence obviously gave her the will and strength to keep living, to keep fighting, to keep both of you alive. In a sense, you are the one that made her able to do that, Serah. You saved her life, and yours. You are _not_ useless."

I look up at her, stunned. I've never thought of it that way.

"I know Lightning is now badly hurt, but she is alive, right? And I think she has quite a fair chance to recover fully. And it was all thanks to you. Hadn't you convinced us when we got into the room, hadn't you given us the courage to keep believing in Lightning and try healing her, we might have left Lightning to die there… And she won't be here with us now. You saved your sister's life with your complete belief in her, Serah. You are more helpful than you think you are."

With that, Vanille smiles, tilting her head to one side.

"Well? What do you say?" she asks.

I couldn't say anything. Her words echo in my mind, all of them surprisingly feel right and comforting. I feel… relieved. I feel relieved now that I know it is okay to feel guilty. I feel relieved now that I know I wasn't a burden. I am so relieved.

I cry again, but this time, they were tears of relief. I hug Vanille, keep thanking her for what she has said, for everything. I hear her giggles, before she hugs me too, saying "You're always welcome, Serah!" as she pats my back.

It feels so warm. It feels… as though I am hugging Lightning. With all this safety, relief and happiness…

_Thank you, Vanille… Thank you… You've raised me back from my slump… You've given me hope._

I sleep well that night, my hands holding Lightning's, watching Fang and Vanille sleep back-to-back near us. The last thing I remember before I fall asleep was Vanille's face after she finished consoling me, smiling softly at me; and also Fang's curt-but-somehow-apologetic nod to me right before we all go to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Lightning never wakes up for the next few days. Hope and Vanille have tried their best every day, casting the strongest healing spells to provide Lightning with energy to heal her wounds. But it doesn't seem to be working. Lightning is still unconscious, still breathing laboriously. The only proof that she is getting better is the fact that her fever has finally disappeared. But other than that, nothing changes.

I watch in sadness and despair as Hope and Vanille cast their spells on Lightning again this morning, with no avail. They do not know why Lightning hasn't woken up. Considering her wounds, I know it will take a while before she recovers completely, but shouldn't she have woken up at least once? Yet she hasn't. And we are getting more and more worried by each passing day.

I keep telling myself and the others to believe in Lightning, to believe in her strength, that she will wake up soon. But actually, deep inside my heart, I am afraid. I'm afraid that Lightning will never wake up again. Considering her wounds, I know it must be very painful for her to even breathe, and I'm afraid that she may give up… before I get the chance to talk to her again, to tell her just how much I love her…

Then suddenly Hope and Vanille stand up and approach the rest of us, discussing about something.

"What?" Fang asks them.

"Since Light hasn't woken up at all…" Vanille starts.

"We think we should open her bandage and check on her wounds," Hope continues. "Do you guys agree?"

"I don't know anything about medical stuff, 'Nille, you know that." Fang protests. "Just do whatever you think is best."

The rest of us agree, so Vanille and Hope approach Lightning again. I keep staring at her pale face.

Fang lifts Lightning's torso up, while Hope and Vanille begin removing her bandage. Light groans when the bandage is removed. I stare at her, hoping that she will wake up. But my hope isn't fulfilled.

Then I hear Vanille's gasp and Hope's sharp intake of breath. I immediately move to the side, trying to get a look past them and Fang.

What I see makes me gasp as well. The good thing is that Lightning's broken ribs seem to be healing. The bruises have disappeared. But the wound hasn't healed at all. Hell, it doesn't even show any _sign _of getting better. It's still gaping, and now that the bandage is removed, it begins to bleed again.

Hope and Vanille go panic as they inspect the wound. Then they quickly clean the blood and bandage Lightning's stomach again, tightening it so the bleeding will stop. Fang lays Light back on the mattress then looks sternly at Hope and Vanille who are looking at each other in despair.

"Well?" Fang demands.

"I don't know… The wound hasn't healed at all…" Vanille replies. She looks worried.

"By right it should have started to close by now," Hope adds, looking scared. "Lightning…"

"Then what do we do now?" I ask them.

"I think the best way is to let her rest and don't open the bandage again… until we are very sure that the wound has closed. Because if not, the wound will just open again every time we remove the bandage," Vanille answers.

"Is there… anything else we can do? To help her recover, I mean? Medicine or something?" Sazh asks.

Vanille looks up, thinking for a while. "Hey, Fang… Remember the herb that we used to collect when we were still living in Oerba? The one with dark green leaves?"

Fang looks disgusted. "Eew. Of course I do. It's impossible to forget that herb's dang bitterness. Always scares me more than the injuries." She winces.

Vanille giggles. "Glad that you are still in love with them! C'mon Fang, they don't taste that horrible… At least they ease pain, right? And they can be used to make a cream that helps the closing of wounds… Seriously, I think we should go get some of them."

"Whatever. As long as I'm not the one consuming them, I don't mind collecting 'em again. Who'll go get them, anyway?" Fang crosses her arms, waiting for Vanille's decision.

"I definitely can't go. Hope and I still have to take care of Light…"

"Fine, then. I'll go."

"Choose someone to go with you."

"Eh, no need. I can go by myself."

"Heck no. You should at least bring a Medic with you. And since Hope and I are occupied, soooo…" Vanille turns her head to me, her eyebrows raised. "…I guess the only choice left is Serah here."

"What the hell, Vanille. I can take care of myself!" Fang scoffs, but Vanille ignores her and looks at me instead.

"What do you think, Serah? You don't mind going, right? We will take good care of Light while you are gone, don't worry."

"Sure, Vanille, I'll go." I smile to her, and she replies me.

"Take care of Fang for me, will ya? Don't let her do anything stupid!"

Fang snorts while I laugh. "Sure, don't worry."

"Hey… Can I tag along?" Sazh suddenly asks.

"Yeah, no problem," I turn to face him, nodding. I glance at Fang, and see her nodding too. Sazh immediately stands up and approaches us.

"Gotta make myself useful to Lightning there. I owe her much," he winks at me. "And to keep this person away from unnecessary troubles," he adds, raising one eyebrow at Fang.

"Hey, seriously, what's the problem with everyone today? First Vanille, then you, old man. Stop insulting me already!" Fang shakes her head, doing a facepalm. We all laugh at her, then finally set off to collect the herbs. I steal a last glance at Lightning, her face lit by the green light emitted by the healing spells cast by Vanille and Hope. She seems to be in pain.

* * *

><p>"So, Fang," Sazh starts a conversation as we walk. "Where are these herbs located anyway? Is it far?"<p>

"Sure it is. It's in Oerba."

Upon hearing this, Sazh stops immediately, his jaw drops. "Oer-Oerba? But it's so far! We have to go through Archylte Steppe, Mah'habara, Sulyya Spring and Taejin's Tower to reach it! For real! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he asks in horror.

"You didn't ask."

"But…but..! I thought we all understand that I am not as young as you guys! Seriously, if you expect me to go to Oerba, I'm gonna call it quit. Or else I may end up shortening my own life span by 2 years! And so many things can be done in 2 years, you know!" Sazh protests, flailing his arms and shaking his head in panic. I can't help but laugh at him.

Fang chuckles too, then gives Sazh her evil grin. "I was just joking, old man. The herb's in Sulyya Spring."

Sazh falls silent, staring at Fang for 5 seconds. Then he groans.

"Whaaaaat? What did you do that for?"

"For fun. Just wanted to see how you would react. And to be frank, it was worth the effort." Fang's grin widens.

Sazh grumbles, looking embarrassed, and slows down to walk behind me and Fang.

We keep walking in silence afterwards until we reach Mah'habara.

That's when a question suddenly appears in my head. I look behind to ensure that Sazh is not in hearing distance. Then I look at Fang who is walking beside me, her face devoid of emotion. I gulp, before I collect my courage and try to ask her about it.

"Hey, Fang… I was wondering… Why did you come along? You could've just told us the location and stayed with Vanille in the basecamp, you know…"

Fang huffs, staring at the road beyond us. I don't think she is going to answer the question at first, but then she opens her mouth and mutters something.

"For the same reason as Sazh's."

I look up at her, surprised. I never thought Fang would have the same reason as Sazh on why she comes along.

"_Gotta make myself useful to Lightning there. I owe her much."_

"But, Fang… I don't understand… If I remember Sazh's reason correctly, then are you saying that you owe something to Lightning?" I ask her, a bit nervously though. Fang seems to be in a bad mood these days, and looks like she may explode anytime if someone says something wrong.

Fang huffs again, still refusing to meet my eyes.

"I owe her a lot, Serah."

I wait for her to explain further, but when she doesn't, I just keep quiet and walk. _Maybe she doesn't want to discuss it with me, after all…_

Then suddenly Fang speaks up again.

"Lightning helped me in saving Vanille, both in the Palamecia and Gran Pulse when Vanille fell from that airship. She also… kicked me up from my slump back there in the Fifth Ark. Without her, I wouldn't have known what to do… She gave me purpose and reason to fight again. And to stay hopeful."

I look at Fang in disbelief. I never considered that Fang will ever share her feelings and thoughts with me. She could've chosen not to answer my question. I don't know what drives her, but I'm glad… and grateful. I feel honored too that she trusts me quite well to keep her private thoughts. I smile softly.

"Heh…" Fang starts again. "Back there in Palumpolum, I know I was the one raising her back from her slump. But still, she has done me much more favor than I do her, without expecting anything back… Now is the time for me to repay my debts to her." Fang stops, smiling sadly, now staring at the ground.

Fang remains quiet for a while, but I know she still has something to say. So I wait and leave her in solitude. My effort is successful, because she starts again.

"The first time I met her, I felt like I'm looking at myself. We are so similar. We both… have someone for whom we will tear down the sky to save. Moreover, she understands me better than anyone else. She understands how I feel, and she is always willing to help me whenever I need it. She respects me, she trusts me. But, sure, we are also very different. She is more sensible than me. She is thoughtful and level-headed. And hell, she can fight damn well. She is the only person in this world that I consider as a match. I enjoy fighting with her. It feels like we are born to back each other up, y'know? She is the best partner I can get in battles. It is as though we are connected by some telepathy thing… I know what she wants to do next, and she knows what I want to do as well. Our teamwork is flawless. I feel invincible whenever I fight with her." Fang gives a smug smile.

"I…respect and trust her too for all these reasons."

I nod in agreement.

"Thank you, Fang… for telling me all these… I really appreciate it that you trust me enough to tell me your feelings and thoughts."

"Heh, no big deal. Vanille always tells me to confide in someone whenever I am upset. Not really something I do every day, but I must admit it does make me feel better." She stretches her arms.

Then she turns sad again.

"But now… Light is wounded and all…" Fang looks down. "It hurts to see her in pain like that… Whenever I see her wounds, I always feel this boiling rage… I want to tear the enemy who has hurt Lightning that badly to shreds." She bares her teeth in an angry grimace, and for a second she looks so menacing that I understand the feelings of the monsters that Fang has fought.

"And the worst thing? The worst thing is knowing that I couldn't protect her. I wasn't there to help her when she needs me. And all I can do for her now is collecting leaves. Pathetic. Useless." Fang smiles sadly, mocking herself.

"No, Fang. You're neither pathetic nor useless. You have been helping Lightning so much, you know? You are doing whatever you can to help her. Back there in the temple, none of us could've helped Lightning, but it wasn't our fault. It was a situation beyond our control… a bad luck," I say to her, mirroring what Vanille has said to me last night.

Fang looks up at me, smiling a little. "Been having a counseling with Vanille, haven't ya? Your words sound like hers," she chuckles.

I nod embarrassedly, laughing a little.

"Thanks, though. I know it was no one's fault, but still… I feel guilty. Heh, if Vanille is here, she would've told me that feeling guilty is okay and all those things!"

I'm relieved to see her grinning again.

We walk in silence for a while, but I cannot resist asking her another question.

"What do you think of Light as a friend, Fang?" I ask her.

Fang grins upon hearing my question, then chuckles.

"Well, I must say your sister isn't really the social type," she says, still grinning. "She is as quiet as a shell. She really doesn't talk much, does she? But somehow I enjoy her company, even when she doesn't say anything. There is something about her that makes you don't feel awkward in silence. I know it sounds strange, but that's how I feel 'bout her," she shrugs.

"But she is a good friend, all right. Understanding, helpful and caring. She doesn't talk much, but her actions show everything."

I look at her in surprise.

_She has the same thoughts as I do…_

I smile softly. Lightning has gotten herself a good friend, too.

Then suddenly Fang laughs out loud. I stare at her in puzzlement.

"Fang…? Are you okay…?"

She keeps laughing, but finally manages to say something comprehensible.

"Yeah…yeah. I'm OK. I was just thinking about Light. I must say, I enjoy teasing her more than anyone else. You know why?"

I shake my head, amused.

"Because she is the most serious person I've ever met! Ha, she is so serious about everything that whenever I tease her, she cannot think of any come-back and will just stand there, frowning and sometimes even blushing. Cute."

Upon hearing this, I laugh with her too. Sure, Lightning is too serious for her own good. She doesn't do well with jokes. She can't create any joke. I always laugh at her for this, and often tease her too. I enjoy teasing her, just like Fang apparently does, too.

Then suddenly I stop laughing. Sadness washes over me, when a question gnaws at my mind. I look up at Fang, and ask her again.

"Do you think… Lightning will be okay…?"

Fang stops laughing immediately upon hearing this. Her face turns serious. She looks straight at me with her jade eyes.

"Yeah. She is strong. She will. She promised, and I believe her. It may take a long time, but one day she will. And I'm gonna wait for that to happen, no matter how long it should be. Then I will challenge her for another spar with me." Fang smirks, looking so confident.

I smile upon hearing her words. Those words have reassured me.

"You're a good person, Fang," I say to her.

She seems not to know how to react, but luckily she is saved from the obligation of answering by Sazh's interruption.

"Hey, hey, hey, what have you two been talking about? I'm bored back here!"

"Who asked you to walk behind, anyway?" Fang throws Sazh a rhetorical question that makes him groan.

"Aww, c'mon, you guys know I'm tired, right? Just invite me into your conversation already."

Fang scoffs, shaking her head. I just laugh at Sazh and punch his shoulder playfully.

"Our conversation just ended, Sazh. You are late by a few seconds."

"Hmm? Then just make another conversation! Come on, invite me in."

Fang groans, but then looks at Sazh and throws him a question.

"What did you owe Light, old man?"

Sazh is taken aback, not expecting that to be the new topic. I am not surprised, though, considering we have been talking about similar stuff earlier. We wait for Sazh as he ponders his answer.

"Hmm… First of all, I owe her even from the first time I met her… in the Hanging Edge. Heck, without her, I wouldn't have been able to get outta that spooky place alive. I may have been toasted inside that Purge train by those PSICOM. Or I may have been killed by that crazy scorpion robot with chainsaws as its claws. Or I may have simply gotten lost and died out of exhaustion and hunger." He shudders. "Then, secondly was in the Vile Peaks… After our airplane crashed, remember? Hadn't she regained consciousness so fast and kept those Pantherons at bay, we may have been torn to shreds by those monsters."

Fang and I stare at him with our mouths agape, because we weren't actually expecting him to take the question seriously and answer it. He stares back at us, looking uncomfortable.

"Well, ladies? Say something! I've got enough reason to be here, right?"

Fang chuckles. "Yeah, old man. You have all the reason to be here. Don't worry, you can still join in our conversation."

Sazh huffs in relief, before he starts talking about other stuff and we converse throughout our journey past Mah'habara. I smile softly. I'm glad I tag along. I have learned many new things about my friends in this journey.

* * *

><p>When we finally reach Sulyya Spring, Fang leads us towards the river bank. She tells us the possible locations of the herbs, and its characteristics. Soon we have separated ourselves and begin looking for the herb. I manage to find some, and I'm currently inspecting its leaves. They are so dark in color, almost black. They have a strong scent, and some small yellow flowers. Overall, they don't look very interesting. But I keep collecting them until I hear Fang calling me.<p>

"Hey, Serah! Lunch!"

I turn towards her, and see her dragging something that looks like a dead Orobon. Sazh is starting up a fire a bit further. I run to them and help Sazh with the fire.

"Shouldn't we bring back some of these Orobon, Fang?" Sazh asks Fang, and I understand his sentiment. Orobon is probably the most bearable foodstuff here in Gran Pulse. Its taste is similar to a fish. Other than Orobon and fruit, our other foodstuff… well, isn't really bearable.

Fang answers, "Sure, but we gotta chop it to pieces. I don't feel like dragging a strong-smelling carcass around with me in our journey home. It may attract unnecessary beasts."

Sazh and I agree with her, so after we kill an Orobon, we chop its meat to pieces and keep them in our pouches. After that, we collect some more herbs before finally heading back.

Our journey back is uneventful. Sure, we meet some monsters that get attracted by the smell of the Orobon meat, but they were nothing serious. Fang and Sazh finish them off in a matter of seconds while I cast protective spells around them. I stare at the herbs we are carrying.

_I hope these can help… Light…_

* * *

><p>It is around midnight when we arrive at the base camp. The campfire has been lit, and Snow and Hope are already asleep. Vanille is still awake though, sitting beside Lightning. She looks up upon hearing our footsteps, and beams happily.<p>

"Hey, guys! Welcome back! Any luck with the herbs?" She stands up and runs towards us, hugging Fang.

Fang laughs, putting her load to the ground beside the campfire.

"Here, missy. We brought you as much herbs as we can."

"Plus some Orobon meat," I add. Sazh meanwhile, has dropped his load as well and drops himself to the ground with a grunt.

"Wow, that's great! Thanks!" Vanille says, while playfully kicking Sazh.

"Hey, stop that! I have been through a long journey, kid!"

Vanille giggles. "Had a hard time, hadn't ya? Okay, then, I'll leave you in some peace to rest! Ciao!"

With that, Vanille leaves to wake Hope up while Sazh covers his face with his arm, trying to sleep. Fang and I follow Vanille.

After Hope has woken up, I help them boiling some of the herbs and make the cream. Fang just sits and watches us. Vanille secretly whispers to me and Hope, telling us that Fang sucks in doing this kind of things. Throw her a Behemoth and she'll chop its head off. Throw her a Megastethorian and she'll teach it some manners. But throw her a cooking chore or the like, and she is as useless as a tree. I giggle too. That sounds just like Lightning. Throw her a whole troop of soldiers, and she can simply glare at them, making them turn and run away. Throw her a PSICOM Dragoon or the likes, and she can glare at it until it short-circuited and explodes. But throw her a cooking chore and she'll just stare at the frying pan as though it is an alien. I tell this to Vanille and Hope, too, and we all laugh together at Fang's and Lightning's clumsiness and fear towards cooking chores and the likes.

"I can hear quite clearly what you are saying, kids."

We all jump in surprise when Fang suddenly interrupts our wave of laughter. We stare at her guiltily, but she just shakes her head and continues staring at the moon, ignoring us. So we just exhale in relief and continue our work. We can see Fang looks a bit embarrassed though. We laugh again, softer this time.

After a while, the cream is ready. It's dark green in color, but not as dark as the original leaves. Vanille carries it towards Light; Hope, me and Fang follow closely behind her.

As usual, Fang lifts Lightning's torso up while Hope and Vanille remove the bandage. This will be the last time they're going to do it before leaving the bandage tightened at all times to enable Lightning's wound to close. After the bandage is removed, they quickly put the cream on Lightning's wound. A low cry of pain escapes Lightning's lips when the cream is introduced to her wound. I stare at her again, hoping she'll finally wake up. But still, I get disappointed once again. Lightning keeps groaning as more cream is introduced. "Ssssh… I know, Light, I know… They'll finish soon, don't worry…" I whisper to her, running my hand softly through her hair. I know she can't hear me, though. I watch her in sadness. _Oh, Light… I hope this will really help you recover… I miss you…_

Then everything's done. Hope and Vanille bandage Lightning again, before going to sleep. Fang still sits there with me for a while, but we fall asleep as well shortly after.


	13. Chapter 13

We wake up so suddenly in the next morning to find ourselves almost get drowned by a heavy downpour. I stand up as fast as I can, shaking my head to get rid of the sleepiness. I stand aghast, watching the black sky swirls and thunders roar. Flashes of lightning tear the sky, and I hear an explosion in a distance where a lightning has apparently struck a dead tree, starting fire. I'm sure the fire will be extinguished soon enough by this crazy downpour though. Then I realize how dangerous our situation is.

"Lightning!" I turn around to reach her, but she isn't there anymore. Fang is already standing, carrying Light in her arms.

"Guys, we've gotta move to a higher place! Or else we'll get drowned! I'm sure a damn flood can happen anytime now!"

With that, she turns, running towards a cliff. I can only see blurred images of the others as they quickly pack whatever valuables we have. I grab Lightning's gunblade and overcoat, while Snow grabs the mattress. Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see someone is grabbing our provision, the sword and the herbs, but I cannot make out who that is in this downpour. There is too much water that blocks my vision.

"Hurry!" I hear someone shout. I hurry up and run, following Fang who has been quite far away. But I can still see her silhouette.

It feels like we have been running under the sea. Water is everywhere. Our vision is so bad; it is so dark and we can hardly see anything beyond 4 meters. It makes us feel claustrophobic. The wind is so powerful; it is pulling us in all directions, sending our wet clothes and hair fluttering around us violently. Yet we keep running, believing in Fang and Vanille to lead us to a higher place. We can't hear anything but the splashes of water on the ground and the deafening roar of thunders.

After a few minutes of frantic running, we finally reach the bottom of the cliff. Then we start climbing. The climb is very difficult. Water is pouring down the cliff's edge onto us, threatening to push us off the cliff or make us lose our grip and fall. We do not make much progress in climbing the cliff. After a while, I hear Hope shouts.

"We won't make it like this! We've gotta use magic!"

Upon hearing him, we all go back down and struggle to get together. Between all the water pouring down, I can see Hope and Vanille standing together, waving at me to join them.

"We need a powerful Aeroga to get us to the cliff's top, Serah! Help us!" Vanille grabs my shoulder and shouts in my ears. I immediately get myself between her and Hope and prepare to release my magic. I see Fang, Snow and Sazh move closer towards us.

"Now!" Hope commands.

I release my magic, together with Hope and Vanille, and the three Aeroga spells combine to become one giant Aeroga that lifts us off the ground and sends us flying upwards, towards the cliff's top. I feel so scared!

The spell is so powerful that it sends us flying over the cliff's top. Then, it disappears and we find ourselves falling to the ground. I cast Protect on myself and see Hope, Sazh and Vanille doing the same thing. Hope is casting Protect for Snow, too. Then all four of us cast our most powerful protect spell to Fang, who is still carrying Lightning with her. Then we hit the ground.

The impact is still damaging despite the Protect spell. It forces the air out of my lungs. I gasp for breath, but go panic when I inhale water instead. I sit up, coughing and gasping for breath. After regaining my breath, I look around and see the others are in the same state as me.

"We've gotta find shelter!" Sazh shouts. I look around, trying to find a shelter of some sort.

"There!" I hear Sazh shouts again. He is pointing at a dark shadow in the distance. At first I couldn't figure out what that is, until I see the others' extremely relieved faces. Then I realize that it must be a cave! Wow. Lady Luck must be on our side this time.

We run into the cave, laughing in relief upon entering the cave's safety. We wait there for a while, sitting around the fire that Hope has started with his Fira spell, waiting for the rain to stop.

* * *

><p>Luckily, the rain stops shortly after. The sun shines brightly, without showing any sign of the downpour that just rages. We step out into the sun, drying our clothes. Fang lays Light at the cave's opening that is basked in sunlight. We try to save whatever can be saved from our provision, but the result is disappointing. We should go to look for provision soon. Luckily, most of the herbs managed to be saved. Then Vanille and me get to Lightning and wipe her body dry. The bandages have to be changed though. They are so drenched.<p>

As Hope and Vanille work on the bandages and the cream, I watch them. I really hope Lightning won't catch a cold… Vanille says the chance of it is small, but I'm still worried. My heart is still beating fast after this morning's panic and rush.

"Whew, what a way to start the day," Sazh grumbles. We all agree with him, mumbling our annoyance to ourselves.


	14. Chapter 14

We spend the next few days in the cave. Lightning still hasn't woken up. I begin to get really worried now. I miss Lightning so badly, I want to hug her, to talk to her… To tell her how much I love her, how much I've missed her… And how much grateful I am to her.

I miss her voice, I miss her touch... I look in sadness at her pale face as I run my hand through her hair. I look at her closed eyes. How I long to see those blue eyes shining through her bangs again! But they remain closed.

A cloud of despair, worry and fear is surrounding us. We are so worried about Lightning. Yet we can't do anything much, except casting healing spells for her. We never open the bandages again since the downpour incident that day, fearing that her wound may open again. So all we can do is just wait… without being able to do anything much to help her. We all know that she must be in constant pain, even in her unconscious state.

Sometimes though, in very rare occasions, Lightning seems to be in a semi-conscious state… groaning when she is in pain, or smiling when I run my hand through her hair or touch her cheek. The first time it happened, though, I was so happy and relieved to see her smile again. But still, her eyes never open.

Today, we are off to look for provision. We leave Lightning in the cave, assured that no harm can happen to her. The cave really is a blessing. It is dry, secluded and warm. We feel safe to leave Lightning there and go out to look for provision in the area under the cliff.

"Alright, what do we have 'ere?" Fang asks as we assemble in our meeting place at the base of the cliff after 2 hours of searching. I put down some fruits that I have found. I don't remember their names though, but I know they can be eaten because Vanille and Fang have told me so. Hope puts down some coconuts, along with Sazh and Snow. Fang and Vanille, meanwhile, are carrying the meat of some specimen that I'd rather do not know its name.

"Alright, let's go ba-" Fang says, when an explosion suddenly shakes the ground.

Shouts fill the air as we turn to face a_ gigantic_ Flan that just materialized before us. It is bigger than 5 Flans combined together! It's blue in color, its long, thick arms flailing around dangerously. It opens its enormous mouth, letting out a shrilling scream. Then its red eyes stare at us angrily, and it begins to attack.

We all jump when its arm swipes at us. With only a single swipe, it manages to attack all of us.

_No! Its reach is too long! This is bad…_

I try dodging the next attacks, without getting any chance to attack the Flan. Fang suddenly shouts in the middle of jumping, "Guys! This thing is a Water Flan! I don't know how the hell it grows this huge, but it is Water Flan, all right!"

_Water Flan… It means it is weak to…!_

A wave of relief strikes me as I turn around to look at the owner of the most powerful Thunder element in our group, as what I always do whenever we fight a Water-element monster. But she isn't there. My relief is replaced by sadness and despair instead. _Lightning…._

Without Lightning, I don't feel so confident anymore. I try my best dodging the attacks, feeling my stamina getting drained with every jump I perform. I have managed to release some Thunder spells on the Flan, but it doesn't seem to be affected. And we cannot attack its body directly because of its flailing arms. Its long reach really is a big disadvantage for us.

Suddenly, Fang shouts. "Back me up!"

We all glance up to her, and begin protecting her as she shoots towards the Flan's body. The Flan swipes its arm towards Fang, but the Protect spell cast by me, Hope and Vanille managed to repel it away. It roars, flailing its other arm. But it is stopped by Sazh's barrage of bullet coupled with Snow's Firaga. It pulls its arm back, trying to hit Fang on its way. Fang ducks, avoiding the attack, then jump high.

That stance… Fang is holding her lance high above her head in midair, her muscles tensed, her teeth bared… I've seen it before and I know what it is.

And so Fang releases her most powerful Highwind move onto the Flan.

The attack cuts the Flan into two, tearing it from its head to its bottom. It wails loudly. Fang lands on the ground, watching the Flan. _We win!_

Then suddenly the Flan roars. To our horror, its body is merging again. In an instant, it has been standing there again, without any sign of injury, just like before Fang slices it. We all stare at it in horror and disbelief.

Then Vanille shouts. "Get outta there, Fang!" panic fills her voice.

Too late.

The Flan hits Fang square on her body, throwing her aback. "Gah!" I hear her shouts as her body is slammed to the ground. I immediately run to her, along with Vanille.

"Fang, Fang, are you okay?" Vanille asks, casting healing spells to Fang.

To our surprise, she stands up almost immediately, her breaths ragged but totally without any serious injury.

"I'm okay, I managed to apply Steelguard before getting hit," she says, panting. "Now let's help the others!"

With that, we run back towards the Flan. It is very powerful. Its Water-element body is extremely strong, it can return back almost instantly to its original shape despite being cut… Just like water itself. We've never met anything with this kind of elemental power before. It is getting more furious now, hitting us frequently. We are starting to suffer some casualties. Vanille and I must work constantly as Medics while still dodging attacks, while the others attack. But no attack seems to affect it, other than the Thunder spell. Whenever it is hit by a Thunder spell, its body seems to be cut, just like how we cut other monsters with swords. But its cuts heal after a while, too.

Suddenly Hope shouts. "Guys! I saw something inside the Flan when I attack it with a Thundaga… It looks like the Flan's heart or something! Maybe if we strike it, we can kill it…"

We all nod and try our best to attack its heart. I've seen the heart too. It is dark blue in color, pulsating in the middle of the Flan's body. But it is protected by a thick layer of its Water-element body.

We can't even touch it!

"Let's just combine our Thunder spells!" Sazh shouts while releasing a barrage of bullets towards the Flan.

"Why not Thundaga while we are at it?" Fang asks back, casting Ruin towards the Flan too.

"We can't, Fang! Thundaga spell is the hardest to control, even one is already very fickle. If we try combining them, it may explode at us!" Vanille answers.

"Then, Thunder combination it is! Let's move!" Fang commands and all of us gather together, preparing a Thunder spell in our hands.

"Strike!"

With that, we release our Thunder spells simultaneously. All of them combine, then strikes the Flan right in the middle of its body. We watch nervously as it writhes in pain.

But then it returns to it former shape, again. Its heart is still pulsating. Our combined Thunder spells are stronger than a normal Thundaga spell, but it is still not strong enough to reach the Flan's heart. I knew it, Thundaga is our only chance to kill this thing! If only our Thundaga spells are stronger… _If only Lightning is here…_

All of us seem to be thinking of the same thing as me. We all go berserk; casting Thundaga over and over again at the Flan, hoping that one spell will pierce its body and leaves a gap for the next spell to reach its heart. But the Flan's body keeps returning to its original form, before the next spell can reach it. Seems that the only way to kill this Flan is by using one powerful Thundaga spell that can reach its heart in one strike. But none of us can perform a Thundaga that powerful.

_We need Lightning!_

All of us grow desperate as the fight continues on and on. We are getting tired, our magic is almost drained… Yet the Flan is still rampaging. If this continues, then… we may die here.

_No! I don't want to die here!_

_I still have to… see Lightning…_

I glance to the cliff's top, where Lightning lies.

But when my attention is distracted, the Flan releases a powerful 360º swing with its both arms. Its attack is so unpredictable that all of us are hit and thrown aback. I land on my back, hard. I struggle to get up, but my back throbs and I find myself lying on the ground again. As I look up, I saw the Flan towering over me, its arm raised, ready to release its killing blow upon me.

Its arm moves down with tremendous speed.

I hear myself scream as I throw my hands over my face.

"Lightning, help me!"

Meanwhile, on the top of the cliff, inside a cave, two piercing blue eyes shoot open from their long slumber, glaring through pink bangs.


	15. Chapter 15

_Something bad's happening._

Lightning's eyes shoot open, only to find herself in a foreign cave. She lies there silently, looking around. She is feeling worried for some reason. The cave is quite big, the rocks huge and solid. Rays of sunshine enters the cave through its opening a few meters away from her. She can see familiar items around, like bottles of Potion put under the shadow of a jutting rock, so this cave must be some kind of their new basecamp. But the others are nowhere to be seen.

_Where are the others? Where's… Serah?_

Lightning frowns. Something's not right. She can feel a wave of uneasiness washes through her, making her feel nervous. It feels like something bad is about to happen, soon. And if there is no one here… Then they must be somewhere outside, probably even fighting something. When this thought comes to her, Lightning immediately stands up; heading to the cave's opening.

That's when she realizes something doesn't feel right with her body. Her arms feel numb, especially her right arm. And she can feel something tight wrapped around her midriff and waist, restricting her movements slightly. Lightning feels annoyed. The others are probably fighting outside, and all she can do is just sleeping and staggering around? _The hell…_

Lightning shakes her head in annoyance. Ignoring the numbness, not even bothering to think about what may cause it, Lightning strides towards the cave's opening. She looks around, trying to find her gunblade, but it is nowhere to be seen. Lightning knows it's dangerous to wander around in Gran Pulse without weapon, but her instincts are telling her that she has to hurry, that Serah is in trouble.

_Tch. _

Deciding to forget about her gunblade, Lightning runs into the sunlight.

* * *

><p>Lightning finds herself standing on top of a cliff. On the pasture below, she spots her friends, fighting an impossibly gigantic Flan. She stares in disbelief as her friends fight frantically while trying to dodge the Flan's flailing long arms. Then Lightning sees Serah.<p>

Her sister looks pale and exhausted, a familiar frown forms between her eyebrows. Lightning hates that frown. It always appears whenever Serah is worried or terrified. _What's actually happened? Why was I alone in that cave?_

These thoughts immediately disappear when Lightning sees her friends being hit by the Flan's powerful 360º swing. All of them get thrown aback, and Serah lands on her back. Waves of fury storm inside Lightning as she hears her sister's scream of pain. Lightning sees Serah trying to get up, but drops to the ground again. Before Lightning can do anything, the Flan moves towards Serah, preparing to attack her. Serah shouts something, but Lightning is too far to make out what she is saying. That is the last straw. Something snaps and a flaring rage explodes inside Lightning. _No one is to hurt Serah while I'm here! Especially NOT a mere Flan. _

Without further ado, Lightning runs towards the cliff's edge and jumps towards the Flan. Lightning shoots towards it in great speed, gathering her magic in her right hand.

_I'll make sure you die painfully after hurting Serah like that! _

Lightning can feel the electricity gathering in her hand, but she thinks it's not strong enough. _This weak Thundaga won't even make the Flan flinch!_

She tries gathering more magic in her hand, but to no avail. She's reached her limits. The spell formed in her hand is just a normal Thundaga. _Dammit! _Lightning's rage towards herself increases. She is angry at herself for not being strong enough to save Serah.

_Please… I just need more power… to save Serah… or else, she will…_

_Die. In the hands of a disgusting, overgrown slimy Flan._

When that thought comes into her mind, Lightning is so furious. Her fury gets more and more intense; she can feel it flowing hot in her veins. When it reaches her hand, suddenly Lightning feels something that's been blocking the flow of her magic—her limit— shatters. She can feel the Thundaga spell in her hand gets bigger. She hears it crackling louder. It fizzes and buzzes, so powerful that it even sends small jolts of electricity into Lightning's arm. But Lightning doesn't care. All she wants is to tear this damn Flan to shreds!

And so Lightning strikes, shouting angrily at the Flan.

* * *

><p><em>I'm going to die.<em>

I look up at the Flan, seeing its arms moving down fast towards me. I can't move. The others are too far to do anything. I'm going to die.

_Lightning…_

Just as I close my eyes and ready myself for an impact, an angry shout suddenly echoes through the air.

"YOU'RE TOAST!"

I open my eyes, which immediately widen in amazement. It is as though the heavens have been ripped open and divine arrows are being shot towards us. A mighty Thundaga spell is tearing its path through the sky. No, wait, that can't be it… It's too huge to be called a Thundaga. I've never even imagined anyone is able to release this powerful of a Thunder spell. Its countless branches cover almost the entire sky, flashing bright, almost blinding; it even makes the sky looks dark for a moment. Then the branches unite into one solid, massive bolt right before striking the Flan. I shout in surprise as the loud explosion occurs right before me. I stare at it in disbelief, the Flan wails as the spell spreads through its body, reaching its heart. Normally, a spell this powerful at this distance would have struck me as well. But this one is very controlled, focusing only at the Flan and leaves me unscathed.

A wave of hope and relief sweeps through me.

That voice, that Thunder spell… The only person who can release a Thunder spell this powerful while still maintaining absolute control over it is…

I glance to see the person who just landed behind the Flan.

* * *

><p>Something's definitely wrong. Lightning just realized that her entire right arm has been bandaged when some electricity from the Thunder spell spreads to her arm, scorching the bandages. She stares at her arm in surprise, before landing on her feet on the ground in a crouching position.<p>

Lightning turns her gaze to her left arm, and finds it bandaged as well, despite only the forearm and hand. She shakes her head in confusion. The Thunder spell that she just released was indeed huge—even she herself is surprised. However, right after releasing it, she feels more drained compared to after she uses her usual Thundaga spells. _Tch. Looks like I can't be using it too often in battles, then. What a shame._ Then she begins to stand up.

"Agh!"

Right then, pain slices through her stomach, so immense that it forces her to fall back on her knees. Lightning cries out, gritting her teeth as her stomach throbs painfully. She touches her stomach and realizes that it has been bandaged too. The pain is so immense, it makes Lightning unable to move. She buckles in pain, waiting for the pain to subside. But before the pain even shows any sign of subsiding, Lightning hears a shrilling wail. She looks up.

To her great annoyance, Lightning sees the dying Flan's thick arm shoots towards her, its last lucky convulsion on the brink of death. Lightning tries to throw her body aside to dodge it, knowing that it would cause quite some damage to her even though it is only a dying convulsion. But her stomach throbs again mercilessly, stopping her movement.

_Damn._

* * *

><p><em>It's her!<em>

Lightning, in the flesh. She is really there, saving me as usual. I stare at her wide-eyed as she lands on the ground, her arm still glowing and buzzing with electricity. I hear rustling sounds around me and see the others looking up, watching Lightning with looks of disbelief on their faces. Then Lightning tries to stand up, but falls back on her knees with a groan. She grabs her stomach. I realize immediately that she must be in pain.

_No! Her wound…_

I stand up immediately, trying to approach Light. But then I see the Flan moving.

It is dying, no doubt about it. Yet its arm is convulsing, and somehow it is shooting straight towards Lightning, who can't move.

I see her looks up, anger flashes in her eyes, but I know she can't dodge it.

_I'm not losing you again._

"OH NO, YOU DON'T!" I shout at the Flan, the shout being amplified greatly as the others shout exactly the same words at the same time as I did. Then I send my most powerful Dazega spell towards it.

I'm really surprised to see five other spells shoot towards the Flan at the same time as my Dazega. Fang releases her Ruinga, Vanille her Waterga, Hope his Aeroga, Sazh his Firaga and Snow his Blizzaga. The six powerful spells hit the Flan's arm simultaneously, and a mighty explosion fills the air, leaving my ears ringing. The Flan's arm is completely destroyed without any trace. The six spells have left the air sizzling, smoke covers the ground. Then it fades away, letting us finally see the person we have missed and worried about so much.

"Lightning!" I shout at her buckled form, and see her already looking up, staring at me.

* * *

><p>The next thing I know is that I'm already sliding towards Lightning, hugging her, crying uncontrollably on her shoulder.<p>

"Serah…?"

Finally, I can hear her voice… I look up at her face, and see those blue eyes of hers shining through her bangs as though nothing has ever happened. I sob again in happiness, burying my face in the soft hair that drapes on her shoulder. "Sis…"

"Serah, I…"

But then I feel something pushes me roughly to the side, and I find myself lying on the ground as Vanille and Hope shoot towards Light like a loose cannonball, pushing me aside and grab Lightning into their hugs.

"Lightning, Lightning, Lightning!" Vanille exclaims in happiness, grabbing Lightning's shoulders and shakes her torso back and front. "Liiiiiiiight!" she screams again, grinning so widely. I see Lightning's surprised face and laugh, my laughter becomes louder as Lightning squirms and blushes slightly when Vanille clings to her waist from in front while Hope clings to her neck from behind, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Kids."

I turn around to see Fang standing beside me, grinning widely upon watching Vanille and Hope 'abusing' Lightning. Lightning, unable to do anything to escape Vanille's and Hope's euphoric hugs, just kneels there and accepts her fate. Her expression is so priceless I can't stop laughing. I feel so relieved. Lightning is finally here! She is okay, she is alive, she is here.

Then Sazh and Snow arrive, laughing as well upon seeing Lightning being hugged with a death grip by Vanille and Hope.

"All right, kids, let the soldier breathe, will ya? It looks like she's about to die from asphyxia already!" Fang shouts at Hope and Vanille.

They immediately release Lightning from their death grip, still laughing, and move aside to let Fang pass.

Fang approaches Lightning, a wide grin on her face. "Glad to see you alive, Light," she says. She extends her hand to Lightning.

Lightning stares at Fang for a while, before finally giving a faint smile and grabs her arm. Fang helps her stand up. I see Lightning winces, her knees buckle once again. Fang immediately grabs her shoulder to stop her from falling. Then Fang places Lightning's arm around her own shoulder and wraps her other hand gently around Lightning's bandaged waist. I notice Light is still holding her stomach. The bandages on her right arm is burnt out, too, must be from her releasing that powerful Thunder spell earlier. I want to ask her about it, but now is not the time to think about battles yet.

Snow and Sazh approach Light as well, the chocobo chick flies out and chirping happily, flying around Light. Snow and Sazh pat her back and punch her left shoulder that is not bandaged playfully. Lightning smiles softly at them, too.

Then she looks at me. I stare back into those blue eyes for a while, feeling a smile spreads on my face. For those few seconds, it felt like there were only the two of us in this whole world, me and Lightning. _She is really here._

Then I rush in to hug my sister again. Fang releases her and lets us hug each other tightly, something I've been longing to do since a very long time.

I hug her close, taking in all the warmth that I've been missing. I can feel the familiar sensation of Lightning's strong arms around me, of her hands patting my back softly, of her soft hair brushing against my cheek. _Sis… _

A contented smile forms on my lips before my tears of happiness fall on Lightning's shoulder.

* * *

><p>As her friends approach her, all memories rush back to Lightning. She remembers everything. Yojimbo, Glenwing, Folkvir, every detail of the battle and the painful treatment afterwards. She winces as the wound that Yojimbo inflicted on her continues throbbing, but she doesn't let the others see it. She is extremely happy and relieved to see them again, too. She returns their hugs, although Vanille's and Hope's are more like a death grip than a hug. They knock the air out of her and hug her so tightly she cannot breathe. Vanille's screams also leave her ears ringing. She can hear Hope laughing as he clings to her neck from behind, his head snuggling against hers, his spiky hair rub against her cheek. Meanwhile, Vanille is clinging to her waist from in front, her head right in front of Lightning's. For a while, all Lightning could see were flashes of Vanille's red hair and Hope's silver hair. Despite all this, Lightning feels contented. Her friends are all here, they are safe, they are alive.<p>

Then Fang approaches her with that wide grin of hers plastered on her tan face, her arm extended to help Lightning up. Lightning accepts Fang's hand and rises, only to feel pain stabs through her stomach again. She buckles, but feels Fang supporting her almost immediately. Then Snow and Sazh appear, laughing like the others. She replies their smiles.

Then all of them step aside and she can see Serah standing a little behind.

Lightning can feel all the tension and worry that have been haunting her since Serah enters Yojimbo's room leave her. She feels so relieved to see her sister standing there, unhurt and okay. She forgets all the pain as she looks at her sister. The person she has been living for, the person she has vowed to protect as long as her heart is beating. Her reason to live, her hope, her pride and joy. All of her friends—no, her family— are okay. Lightning quickly forgets that terrifying fight as Serah runs into her arms, hugging her tightly. She hugs her back, smiling.

_Finally. _

* * *

><p>I keep hugging Lightning, not wanting this moment to end. But I have something to tell her. Something I've been aching to tell her.<p>

"I love you, Light..."

I whisper those words to Lightning. I bury my face in her shoulder, still not wanting to let her go.

"I love you, too, Serah."

Her reply sends me laughing and crying at the same time.

"I've been missing you so much, sis…" I give her shoulders a squeeze. She doesn't reply me, but I can feel her arms wrapped tighter around me, silently telling me that she won't ever go away again. It makes me feel completely safe… finally.

Then I release her and stare at her face, tears of happiness cascade down my cheek. Lightning raises her bandaged left hand and wipes them away. I smile.

Fang is still standing behind Lightning, grinning. Then suddenly, I see a blur of movement behind her as Vanille hugs Fang with a bear hug, sending the two of them crashing against Lightning and me. Vanille continues with hugging Fang, Lightning and me altogether, her cheerful laughter fills the air. Snow, Hope and Sazh laugh, joining the group hug.

"Glad to see you finally waking up, Sleeping Beauty!" Snow says to Light.

"We were soooo worried, Light!"

"Yeah, Hope and Vanille here have been working damn hard to save you, Light."

"Just how long have I been out?" Lightning asks.

"Two weeks, maybe more, I'm not sure." Sazh answers.

"But it felt way longer than that," Hope adds. He is still grinning, though.

Lightning shakes her head in dismay, surprised upon knowing that she has been unconscious for two weeks.

At least now it's over. Everyone's smiling; the cloud of despair, worry and fear has disappeared without a trace. Lightning's alive, as she promised.

_Thank you, sis… For staying with us…_

Then we all release Lightning, finally stop invading her personal space. She exhales in relief, sending Vanille giggling.

"You've got to be more cheerful, Light!" she chirps. "Get used to hugs!"

"You'd better do so, Light. Vanille loves to hug. She'll cling to anything if you give her enough time," Fang adds. "You'll get a lot more than that, that's for sure. Although I don't think you're quite the huggable type."

"Aww, don't say that, Fang! Lightning is actually very huggable!" Vanille says happily, swinging her arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I overhear Light whispering to herself, frowning. I giggle.

"Ooooh, so she is the huggable type, now? I'm surprised. I thought she's always been more like the I'll-bite-your-head-off-if-you-dare-touch-me type!" Fang continues teasing; her mischievous grin spreads through her face.

"I'm not!" Lightning snaps at Fang, glaring at her.

It only sends Fang laughing again.

"See? That's what I meant by her 'doesn't take well to jokes'…"

"Come on, Fang… Light's still hurt, she shouldn't be moving around like this… Wouldn't we better go back to the cave?" Hope suddenly says.

"Heh, sure. Whatever," Fang replies, still grinning. "Think you'll need another ride from me, Light?" She smirks.

Lightning looks away, muttering a "No, thanks," through clenched teeth that just sends Fang laughing again.

"Aww, come on, Light, I was just joking! Hadn't got the chance to do that to you in a while, y'know? Kinda miss your reactions."

Lightning groans, walking away towards the cave. I follow her closely. Without saying anything, I slip my hand into hers. She looks at me in surprise, but doesn't pull away.


	16. Chapter 16

"Where's my gunblade?" Lightning asks immediately as we enter the cave.

"Couldn't find it, did ya?" Fang asks back, her eyes shining with mischief once again. "Must say Vanille here has done a good job hiding the 'precious' stuff!" She ruffles Vanille's hair. Vanille giggles, squirming away from Fang's reach. She approaches the far end of the cave, rummaging through the dark for a while. Then she pulls out Lightning's overcoat, gloves, and gunblade, as well as the sword we acquired in the temple. Seeing it again makes awful memories rushing into my mind, but I try to push them aside. _It's over now._

"Here you go, Light! Your overcoat was torn, but I've fixed it, don't worry!" Vanille says to Lightning, handing her belongings over. "Sorry, Light, but your sleeve was so badly torn I couldn't fix it…"

"No, it's alright… Thanks, Vanille," Lightning replies, grabbing her overcoat and begins to put it on.

"Uh-uh. Not so fast, Light," Fang snatches Light's overcoat away from her again. Lightning glares at Fang's smirking form.

"Give that back," she snarls.

"Oooh, don't be shy!" Fang winks. "Those bandages have pretty much done this overcoat's job, after all. You won't need it." She smirks, her eyes clearly taunting Light to do something.

_Okay, Light's gonna explode now._

With a frustrated groan, Lightning charges at Fang. Their arms engage in a fast fight, moving so quickly they looked blurred. But I know who will win already. Fang may be stronger, but Lightning is much faster. I was right. Lightning manages to grab Fang's wrist and forces her to release her overcoat. Fang just laughs, letting go of Lightning's overcoat.

"Whew, been missing sparring with you like that, Light!" she says.

Lightning scoffs, beginning to put on her gloves and overcoat. But suddenly Hope stops her.

"Umm… Wouldn't we better check on your wounds first, Light? To ensure they've healed?" he asks, a look of worry fills his face. Now that he mentions it, Light does look a bit pale... And her breathing is slightly ragged. I scold myself. _How could I have forgotten that Light is still hurt? She is in pain! What was I thinking, hugging an injured person like she is a pillow? _

I know Lightning must have been hiding her pain all the times we were hugging her. She's always like that.

"No need, I'm fine."

Her reply shocks me.

"No, you're not, Lightning Farron!" I shout back at her. Her eyes widen in surprise.

"There's no way you're fine with a wound like that! I know you have been hiding your pain all along, right? You can't trick me. Now quit being so stubborn and take that overcoat off!"

The others give me a surprised stare. They've never seen my outburst before. I ignore them, keep glaring at Lightning.

With a groan of annoyance, Lightning takes off her overcoat and gloves again and sits on the ground. Hope and Vanille approach her, as well as me and the others.

Fang is chuckling. "Bring in some soldiers, Light'll annihilate 'em. Bring in some Behemoths, and she'll condemn 'em to oblivion. But bring in Serah Farron, and she'll squirm and do whatever's asked of her! Ha!"

Snow laughs as well. "Serah does look a lot like you when she's angry, Light!"

"This teaches us not to mess with the Farrons! One is already as terrifying as a thunderstorm, I can't imagine if both of them gets angry at the same time," Sazh adds.

His comment makes everyone laugh, even I find myself smiling a bit even though I'm still a little annoyed.

Lightning just stares angrily at Fang who has started all the teasing. Fang just happily ignores her, though.

Then suddenly Fang becomes serious again. She leans closer to Lightning, jade eyes meeting azure ones.

"Lightning, you don't have to hide your pain. You're not fine, nothing's wrong with that! Other people would've died back there during the healing process, but you survive… like you promised. You've done your part. Now it's our turn to help you recover. Don't hesitate to tell us about your condition. Let us have our chance to help you. We care about you, too, y'know?" she punches Lightning's shoulder.

Lightning just stares back. Then I think I see a ghost of smile on her lips before she nods.

"Fine… thanks, Fang. And all of you, guys."

"No problem, Light! You've done too much for us. At least now is our chance to repay you, like what Fang said," Vanille replies, smiling.

Then the bandages fall to the ground as Hope removes them.

Fang lets out an angry hiss as she looks at Lightning's wound. I stare at it in fear and disbelief too.

Lightning's stomach is scarred by the long wound that extends from the front part to her waist. But we can't even call the wound as 'scar' yet. It is still gaping and bright red in color. The skin around it has reddened as well. Looks like the wound is inflamed after Lightning's sudden fight right after she woke up. I look up to Hope and Vanille. They look shocked, too, upon seeing that the wound hasn't shown any major sign of healing.

Lightning winces as Vanille touches her wound, right at the center. I am shocked to see her doing that, because the wound looks like it hasn't closed at all and Vanille has just touched Lightning's flesh. Seeing my expression, she smiles comfortingly.

"Don't worry, Serah, the inner part of the wound has closed… It won't bleed again. Let's just give it some time to heal properly, okay?" she tilts her head to one side.

I exhale in relief, smiling back. _Well, at least the bruises have disappeared, _I think as I take another look at Lightning's stomach. Looks like her broken ribs have gotten much better now.

Hope and Vanille continue with examining Lightning's arms and shoulders. Fortunately, all of the wounds there have healed perfectly. Lightning stretches her arms after the bandages have been removed, exhaling, a satisfied look on her face. I bet she must be hating the bandages, since they restrict her movements and all. Lightning isn't one who's fine with being restricted. She always wants freedom.

Hope and Vanille discuss for a while, before turning back to Lightning and assess her right arm that is a little scorched from her over-powered Thunder spell earlier. They apply a Cura spell on it, and I'm relieved to see it heals.

"This should be fine… I don't think we need to bandage your arms anymore, Light," Hope says. "But about this one…" he gestures to the gruesome gash on Lightning's stomach. "We still have to bandage it."

"Let's just do it tomorrow, Hope! Night's fallen, and we have to sleep soon… I bet we are all tired! Just let Lightning sleep comfortably tonight, without those tight bandages," Vanille suggests. "But Light, don't wear your overcoat yet this following days, okay? We need to be able to monitor the wound at all times!"

Lightning gives her a look of disbelief. "You want me to… walk around half-topless?"

Immediately Fang bursts out laughing, while Vanille giggles.

"Don't worry, Light! I told you, those bandages will pretty much do your overcoat's job!" Fang manages to say between her laughter. Lightning groans, looking terribly annoyed but throws her overcoat aside and only puts on her gloves. We all settle down, sitting in a circle.

* * *

><p>"Anyway, Light," Fang suddenly speaks up as she sits on the ground near us, her back against the cave's wall. "That was quite some Thunder spell you've released back there…"<p>

The others immediately say their agreement.

"Yeah, Light! It was huge!"

"Bigger than any spell I've ever seen."

"I hadn't even imagined such a huge Thundaga can be formed, you know."

"It looked like it had been shot out by the Makers themselves!"

"Think you can do it again, Light? Bet it'll be useful in battles," Fang asks with a wink.

Lightning just smirks at her. "I don't know, Fang. I'm not sure whether I can release it again or not. It was different back then… I didn't quite know what I was doing. I was just… furious… And somehow that spell just formed in my hand and I released it."

Fang whistles. "Aww, come on, you've done it once, you can do it again! It'll be a great asset to us if you can release that mighty spell at will!"

"Heh. Fine, if I try hard enough I may be able to use it at will."

"That's the Lightning I know!" Fang hoots happily, patting Lightning's back.

"Anyway guys, can that spell even be considered a Thundaga? It's too big to be called Thundaga, that's for sure. Let's give it a better name."

Lightning looks at Sazh. "I don't think it needs another name… It's just a Thundaga, that's all."

"The hell it was! It was way bigger than any Thundaga can be! Definitely it needs a name of its own."

"How about 'Lightning Strike?" Snow suggests helpfully.

I can hear the whole group groans.

"That's so lame!" Hope says. "No creativity at all! Can you imagine us saying 'Hey, come on Lightning, release Lightning Strike'? That'll be sooo lame!

"The lamest name I've ever heard!" Fang groans. "No offense to you, of course, Lightning," she adds after realizing that her words may be interpreted wrongly and may result in a bloody and unpleasant conflict afterwards.

"Seriously, Snow, even Dajh can be more creative than that!" Sazh says again. "I'm sure you failed your Literature exam, didn't you?"

Snow just grins guiltily. Looks like Sazh's guess has hit the bull's eye.

"Aww, but I think it's cute! It's got Lightning's name in it!" Vanille says, unknowingly adding salt to the wound. _Oops. _I steal a glance at Lightning and see her jaw tightens.

"I'm NOT having my own name as a spell's name," Lightning says sternly.

That simple statement from Lightning quickly makes us put aside Snow's suggestion and move on with our conversation.

"That spell was unbelievably powerful, Light." Sazh says.

Lightning just shrugs. "Guys, seriously, I don't think that spell needs a name. Just call it Thundaga! What's the difference?"

"The difference is, it can kill the Flan in one strike! None of our Thundaga can do it. Give it up, Light, we _are _giving it a name, whether you want it or not." Fang answers.

"You're right, Fang! That spell was so huge right? It almost covers the entire sky. And it flashes so bright, for a moment I thought the sun has fallen from the heavens," Snow chuckles.

"It was like the wrath of heavens…" Hope mutters to himself.

All of us, except Lightning (who looks bored, by the way) immediately sit up straight, staring at him. He looks startled by the sudden attention. "What?" he asks.

"What did you just say, kid?" Fang demands.

"Umm… Wrath of heavens?"

"That's it!" Fang lets out a triumphant laugh. "Now that's a suitable name!"

"Hmm, not bad. It suits the ferocity and strength of the spell. And it's one intimidating name, that's for sure," Sazh says, smiling.

"Woow, Hope, you're good!" Vanille says, patting Hope's back. "You just created a name for Lightning's technique!" Hope blushes a little as all of us compliment him, patting his back. He smiles.

"Wrath of Heavens. Cool name, intimidating and menacing," Fang says with a smirk. "Whaddaya say, Light? Agree with that name?"

"Whatever," Lightning replies. I know she doesn't really care about names, she will take any name we offer. As long as it's not so ridiculous and embarrassing like Snow's suggestion. I smile as I see Hope grins widely. He seems so happy and honored that Lightning uses his idea as her spell's name. I like the name, too. Wrath of Heavens. It suits the spell's divine looks, its power, and the feeling of amazement that I got when I saw it. I look at Light and smile at her. She just shrugs at me, then continues watching the others conversing noisily about the 'newborn' spell, as how Snow calls it.

After a while, all of us fall quiet. We suddenly realize how tired we are after a day of exploring and fighting. "I think I'm going to bed now!" Vanille says. The others immediately mumble their agreement, standing up and walk to their sleeping spots.

Vanille stands up too, but then bending down again to talk to me and Lightning.

"Rest well tonight, Light! You'll be okay soon enough, you'll see!" she then turns to me and says, "You too, Serah! Sweet dreams!"

I smile back to her, saying "Good night!" while Lightning gives Vanille her curt nod.

With that cheerful smile of hers, Vanille walks away to approach Fang. Fang grins at Lightning, before following Vanille walking to their sleeping spot beside the campfire that has been lit by Sazh and Snow. Hope looks at Lightning for a while, hesitating. Lightning gives him a curt nod, but that seems to be enough to make him grin, before walking away.

I look up at Lightning. She stares back at me. I smile at her. I'm so happy now that she is with me…

That night, I sleep peacefully, feeling the warmth of Lightning's bare stomach against my hands. I snuggle closer to her. I feel safe, snuggling close to her again like this… A feeling of safety and comfort envelops me. Now I can rest assured that nothing can hurt me. Because as long as I'm with my sister, as long as she is here, I know everything's gonna be alright.


	17. Chapter 17

I wake up before dawn to find myself alone in the dark. The campfire has died, and all I can hear is the others' calm breathings and Snow's snores. I can hear someone, probably Vanille judging from her voice, mumbling in her sleep. As my eyes get used to the darkness, I begin to be able to see the others' silhouette with the help of the moonlight that seeps into the cave through its opening. But the one person I'm looking for isn't lying by my side like I expected. I feel worried all of sudden. _Where's Lightning? Where has she gone at this hour?_

I get up slowly, trying not to make any sound. However, as I begin making my way to the cave's entrance, my foot kicks a stone. I halt. Fang grunts, but other than that, no one seems to be awoken. I huff, continue moving.

As I get out of the cave, I immediately spot her. Lightning is sitting at the edge of the cliff, gazing at the stars. The moon basks her with silver light, making her look menacing yet beautiful at the same time. The night wind sends her hair fluttering, pink strands dancing with the white moon at the background. I stand still for a while, unsure whether Lightning would like my company or not. She seems to be lost in her thoughts. While I stand there like an idiot, not knowing what to do, Lightning suddenly speaks up without turning.

"What are you doing outside at this hour… Serah?"

I almost jump in surprise. I panic, not knowing whether I'm supposed to approach her or just turn tail and run back into the cave. But then she turns to look at me, and her serene blue eyes calm me down. She is not angry, at least. So I approach her, sitting beside her without saying anything.

"Can't sleep?" Lightning asks again. I shake my head. Strangely, I don't feel tired at all.

"I'm not sleepy," I reply her. She raises her eyebrow, but says nothing and turns her gaze back to the night sky.

"What are _you _doing, sis?" I ask her after a few minutes of silence.

She exhales, leaning back on her palms. "Nothing in particular… Same as you, I'm not sleepy… So I thought I'd get out for a walk. Should've known you'd wake up if I leave your side. You've always been like that."

I laugh softly. I turn to look at her, leaning back so casually on her palms, her eyes still gazing. I look down at her bare stomach and feel my own stomach lurches upon seeing the bright red gash there. I know I can never get used to the sight of it. I've been hoping that it will disappear one day, but I know my hope is just a fantasy. There is no way a wound like that can ever disappear completely. Or even heal completely. I shudder at the thought. I look at Lightning's face again, but she doesn't show any sign of being in pain. But you never know. It's difficult to read Lightning's expression, since she is stoic. Even if she is in pain, she'll never say anything. I huff in annoyance. She turns to look at me curiously. I just shake my head, and she turns her face away again. I continue staring at her wound. I hate that wound. It has scarred Lightning's otherwise perfect and muscular stomach forever. I stare at the ground as I remember Yojimbo's blade tearing through Lightning's stomach, the sound, the bright red stain on the silver blade… and Lightning's face that twists in pain. I shake my head when a chill goes down my spine. _I shouldn't think about this kind of things! It's over, and Light's here… alive._ Still, I shudder at the memory.

Suddenly I feel Lightning's arm around my shoulders. I look up at her and meet her eyes.

"Aren't you cold?" she asks. "Don't you better get back to the cave?"

I shake my head. "No, sis, I'm okay… I want to be with you. Thinking about it, aren't _you _cold?" I ask, glancing at her bare stomach and arms. She scoffs, muttering "I've gotten used to it."

I shrug, leaning back like her and follow her gaze at the moon and stars.

"Light?"

"Mmm."

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing interesting."

I slap the back of her head with my left hand.

"Ouch! What was that for?" She frowns at me, rubbing her head.

"Don't be so aloof, Light! I'm trying to start a conversation here!" I say to her.

She groans. "Conversation about what? There's nothing interesting to talk about, anyway."

"Aww, please, sis? I've been missing talking to you…"

"No. I'm not in the mood."

"…No?" I give her my best puppy-dog eyes, trembling my lips as if I'm about to cry.

I know I've won when I hear her groan. She turns to me and gives me her most bored look. I giggle. Lightning may look cold and distant on the outside, but actually, she has a soft spot inside… if you know how to find it, of course. Come to think about it, not many people have become friends with her… Some of my high school classmates even fear her. I laugh softly when I remember an incident that happened a few years back, on my graduation day from High School.

I remind Light about it, and I can see a ghost of a smile on her face. We begin talking about it.

* * *

><p>That time was when my graduation ceremony was about to be held, and every student's parents were invited to the ceremony. The principal had especially asked me to come with my parents, since I was the top student at school and all. I remember I'd nodded but didn't dare to meet his eyes. He didn't know my parents were…<p>

Well, the point is, I knew I have no one to attend that ceremony, to see me receiving the award, to witness the whole school clap for me. Lightning had to work, and I didn't tell her about the ceremony, fearing that she would feel obliged to come despite she was very busy. I knew she had been working so hard to support the two of us. I couldn't possibly ask her to work harder just so she could take a day off to attend my ceremony, right? No. That would be heartless and selfish of me. Lightning had worked so hard. Too hard. She always came home late, drained and exhausted, only to sleep for a few hours before going off for work again. She even kept working on weekends. Everything to support the two of us. So I just kept quiet about the ceremony and didn't tell her anything. I threw the invitation letter in the trash bin when I got home.

During the following week, I didn't have much chance to see Light. She seemed to work harder. She went home later and took off earlier. I was worried about her, but she ignored me. I also didn't have enough energy to argue with her, since I was so sad that time. To be honest, I really wanted someone to watch me receiving the award in the ceremony… to have someone to feel proud of me… Since I had been studying so hard to achieve it. Yet I knew I couldn't force my whim on Lightning. She had done too much for me. So I spent that week in solitude, alone at home, without anyone to talk with, to share my happiness in becoming the top student.

On the day before the ceremony, I couldn't sleep. I decided to wait for Lightning to come home, but ended up falling asleep in the sofa. I remembered waking up a little to see Lightning went home so late at night, looking pale and drained. I was about to doze off again when I felt her carrying me into my bedroom. I didn't open my eyes, and immediately fell asleep again when Light put me down in my bed. I heard her room's door opened and closed. The last thing I remember thinking was about my faint hope of Lightning coming to the ceremony in the next day being completely gone, considering how tired she looked.

* * *

><p>On the day of the ceremony, I woke up early, only to see Lightning already gone. I bathed, dressed up neatly for the ceremony, ate breakfast and took off. I tried to convince myself that it would be okay, that even though no one's coming for me, I can still enjoy myself. I tried to put on a smile, one that people would expect a top student to have on her face on the day of the graduation ceremony.<p>

Then the ceremony started. Every student was called to go onto the stage and received his/her certificate of graduation. I noticed that every student always looked at the audience when he or she receives the certificate, grinning widely. And every time I followed their gazes, I could always spot proud parents or relatives clapping for their child. _How lucky. _I smiled sadly, knowing that I shouldn't feel jealous. I was lucky enough to still have my sister, who loves me so unconditionally, who was willing to sacrifice her youth taking care of me and working so hard. She is miracle, a blessing. I should've been thankful instead of grumbling and feeling jealous of other children's parents. But still…

Then my turn came. I heard the principal announced that the next student coming up is the top student in the school.

"Serah Farron!"

The whole school clapped as I walked onto the stage, putting on a fake smile. I held out my hands to receive the award, but the principal didn't give it to me. Instead, he turned towards the audience, smiled, and said the words I dreaded the most.

"To show our appreciation, we are proud to call upon Serah's parents to stand by her as she receives the award."

The moment he said it, I felt like the floor beneath me had disappeared. My heart lurches as murmurs began to arise.

"I thought she is an orphan?"

"Yeah, I heard her parents had died."

"Does she have any other relative?"

"I heard she has a sister, but her sister doesn't seem to care about her… if she does, she would've shown up here…"

The murmurs continued. I wanted to shout at them to shut up, to tell them that they don't know anything about me nor Lightning. But I couldn't say anything. The principal looked confused as well, calling upon my 'parents' again. Of course no one stepped up. He turned to look at me.

"Serah, dear, aren't your parents here?"

I forced a smile. "No, sir, they've passed away years ago."

The principal was taken aback. Hadn't the situation been so serious, I would've laughed at his expression. His jaw literally dropped and he was at a loss of words while the murmurs get louder when everyone heard what I just said. Some parents began to hug their children. I wanted to just grab my award, run home into my room and cry under the blanket. But then the principal found his tongue again.

"Erm, is there anyone who can represent Serah's parents?"

No answer. I look down at my shoes. I most definitely didn't want some stranger to come up and stand by me while I receive the award. I'd rather receive it myself.

"Anyone willing…?"

I threw my face away from the audience, trying to hold back tears.

"I will."

My head shot up when I heard that stern, calm voice. I can never mistake that voice. _But… it can't be… She is at work now… Am I hearing things? _I turned around and look at the hall's door, right to see _Lightning _stepped inside.

Immediately my heart felt like it had just exploded in happiness and disbelief. _Light? Is that really you?_

It was her, unmistakably. She walked proudly even though the audience had begun to murmur upon seeing her coming in her uniform, her cape swaying behind her, her gunblade dangling in its holster. Judging from her uneven breathing, it looked like she had sprinted here from work. Other people couldn't possibly notice it, since Light has always been good in keeping herself stoic. I could notice it only because I've known her so well. At that time, she looked like an angel to me. Somehow, she had made my wish come true. She had come here, even without me telling her anything about it. _How could she have known?_

I keep watching her making her way towards me. Her soft pink hair flutters slightly, her strong arms swing confidently beside her, her legs stride purposefully towards me. Her piercing blue eyes never left my face. I could see my friends staring at her, amazed upon seeing my sister for the first time. They stared at her pink hair, then turned their gaze on me, comparing our hair color, nodding when they found our hair identical. I heard their murmurs.

"_That _is Serah's sister?"

"A soldier? Seriously?'

"Look at that weapon."

"She is scary, not like Serah! They are so different in that sense."

I admit Light did look intimidating. Her expression was stern and cold, her eyes serious. Her gunblade didn't ease things up either. But I don't care. _Lightning is here! _

Then she stepped up the stage, standing beside me. The principal, looking relieved, mumbled a "Thank you for coming" and handed me the award, announcing my name once again.

"Serah Farron, top student in the school!"

I could feel Lightning's hand on my shoulder. Then the whole school clapped and cheered, and I turned back to face my sister, smiling widely and saw her smiling proudly at me as well. She nodded at me. And despite that simple gesture, I burst out into tears, laughing and crying at the same time as I hugged my sister, feeling like the luckiest, happiest child in the world.

* * *

><p>As the hall settled down, the principal announced some other trivial stuff. I sat back in my chair, looking up at Lightning and grinning. I could feel my friends' eyes on us. I didn't know why, but suddenly all the boys seemed to be so interested in staring. I giggled. I knew Lightning looked gorgeous, with her beautiful face and slim build. But she looked intimidating at the same time, too. That was what kept those boys at bay. Lightning, meanwhile, looked totally oblivious of the attention she was getting. She just looked at me. I felt so proud to have her as my sister… When I opened my mouth to say something to her suddenly an alarm and announcement broke through the speakers.<p>

"Attention students and parents, we need you to stay in the hall. We have received an emergency warning that an armed psychopath had escaped from prison and may have been hiding in this school. The Guardian Corps are coming right now. Please wait calmly."

Of course no one was calm. People started screaming and pushing their way to the door. A stampede almost broke, when suddenly a loud shot shocked us all. Lightning had taken out her gunblade and shot the ceiling for attention.

"Remain calm! I am Guardian Corp. I'll take care of this. Stay here, and stay calm! Don't leave the hall."

She spoke with such authority and urgency in her voice that everyone immediately obeyed. The fact that her face showed no mercy nor room to argue also helped in making everyone do what she said. I looked up at her, worried. "What do you want to do, sis…?"

"Arresting him, what else?" Lightning turned her gunblade into its sword mode.

"But, Light! He is armed!"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." With that, Lightning sprinted out of the hall. Everyone stayed in the hall, nervous and terrified.

* * *

><p>A few minutes had passed, and I was very worried. I hoped the Guardian Corps would arrive soon… Lightning must be running around the school now, trying to track that psychopath. But she doesn't really know this place's landscape, right? There are so many places the psychopath can hide, like the warehouse, toilet, or even on top of a tree in the garden… Then suddenly a realization hit me. <em>Oh no… What if he really hides on top of a tree? The only big tree here is...<em>

I turn around to look at the big tree planted right outside the hall's window.

And right then, the window shattered and someone swung into the hall from the tree branch. Screams followed when we saw a man in torn clothes standing on the window. He was filthy and his long dark hair was unruly and dirty. His eyes were bloodshot, but he looked happy to see so many people in the hall. He smirked; his psychopathic eyes scanned the room. No doubt about it, he was the psychopath.

"Many toys to play with…" we heard him mumbled. Everyone backed out from the window. Parents are hugging their children, terrified. Yet no one dared to move since the psychopath had pulled out a rusty sword from a worn out holster that he slung around his shoulders. He smirked again. Then he shouted with his hoarse voice, "Unless you guys want to die, you'd better give me your valuables, car keys and ID cards! Now!"

Many people are shaking in fear, hurriedly fishing out the aforementioned items from their purses and pockets. I myself was also very scared. I saw no common sense nor emotions in the man's eyes. But the good thing was, he didn't have enough wits to quickly take the items and flee with the aid of the stolen ID cards. Instead, he just stood there waiting for the people to produce their items, hissing softly like a snake. _We should prolong this… drag the time, and the Guardian Corps may arrive on time…_

Then suddenly one of my classmate stepped up, while the parents are screaming in worry and fear.

I've never liked this classmate of mine. His name is Aide, and he was some sort of an overconfident, acting-macho guy. Sure, he was muscular, but he was also arrogant and believed that he was the strongest man in the world. Foolishly, he tried to threaten the psychopath.

"Leave, now! Or else I'll punch you to death," he said, flexing his muscles.

The psychopath just laughed at him. "You think so, kid? What can you do without weapon, eh?" Then he slashed at him with his sword. Aide seemed to lose his guts after seeing the sword slashed past his nose, his big muscles soon forgotten. He tried to turn back and ran, but the psychopath slashed at his feet and he tumbled, screaming. The psychopath prepared to stab him, still laughing. Everyone went panic, but no one dared to approach.

That was when suddenly a shadow appeared behind the psychopath, swinging inside from the window of the classroom right above the hall, kicking the psychopath on his back, causing him to tumble beside Aide. We looked up to see Lightning, panting, standing behind the psychopath.

"Who are you?" the psychopath stood, clumsily grabbing his sword from the floor. Meanwhile, Aide cowered back into the safety of the crowd.

"Sergeant Lightning Farron, Guardian Corps. I'm here to arrest you."

The psychopath stood still for a while, then laughed out loud.

"A woman in the Guardian Corps? Don't make me laugh! I can see you have a weapon and all, but can you even lift it up? It looked too heavy for you! But I've got this nice sword here, to tear you into pieces! What can you do, woman?"

To my surprise, Lightning was smirking. "Heh. I don't even need my gunblade to handle a wimp like you."

Upon hearing this, the psychopath attacked Lightning, roaring like mad. But Lightning is way faster than him.

"Lesson number one," she said as she parried his attack, "Never attack so aimlessly like a baboon."

"Lesson number two…" Lightning punched him right in the solar plexus, making him gasp and buckle. "…always keep your guard up."

I could practically hear everyone gasping. It was my first time seeing my sister fight, and I was scared. I wasn't scared of her, of course; I was only scared that she would get hurt…

"Lesson number three…"

The psychopath whimpered, his hands clutching his stomach. He looked up at Lightning from his buckled form and saw her cold expression. He unconsciously let out a high-pitched scream that would've done those hysterical girls at rock band concerts proud. He tried to stand up, but before he could do anything besides twitching his legs, Lightning had kicked his head hard, so casually as though she was taking a penalty in soccer.

"…act quickly in every situation."

The psychopath's jaw dropped slack, and he fell to the ground with a thud. He fainted.

Things became blurry after that. I remembered feeling so relieved upon seeing the psychopath fell down, and when the other Guardian Corps officers came in and arrested the psychopath. Then I remembered leaving the school with Lightning, my hand holding her forearm. Everyone moved aside to give way to us. I could still see the boys staring, but this time with fear in their eyes. They averted their gaze whenever Lightning looked up, scurrying away from her path. Lightning just strode with me in tow, going home. I smiled contentedly.

* * *

><p>I snap back into reality, looking into Lightning's eyes as she watches me laughing softly. "Sorry, I was just thinking about… how you hammered those lessons into that psychopath…" I tell her between my laughter.<p>

Light smirks. "He was just an arrogant baboon with brain smaller than a donkey's."

I laugh even louder. Light smiles softly too at the memory.

Suddenly I remember something. I haven't really asked Light this question before…

"Anyway, how did you suddenly turn up there, Light? I didn't dare to ask you that time…" I ask her nervously.

Lightning huffs. To my relief, she answers my question. "Nothing much. I just found the invitation letter in the trash bin. It was unopened, so I was curious… After reading it, I just took a day off on your ceremony day. But still, I had to work half day on that day. Luckily I arrived on time."

She stops there, but I know there was more than what she says. Now I know why she had worked so hard on the week before the ceremony. That time, in order to get a day off, the officers had to work extra shifts to make up for their lost duty hours. That was why Lightning went home so late those days… And the way she said "luckily I arrived on time" may sound casual, but I know she must have been sprinting all the way to my school. Yet she says nothing about it. Always the stoic Light.

I snuggle to her, smiling.

"I'm so lucky to have a sister like you, Light… You're much better than any parents can be."

I can feel her tenses on the mention of the word 'parents'. Lightning always avoids talking about them. But I want her to know that I don't really feel sad for losing our parents anymore. Because I still have her, and she has been more than any parents can be. I want her to know that. I think I see her smirk, but I'm not sure.

I really enjoy that moment, watching the moon shines brightly upon us, recalling long-forgotten memories, enjoying each other's company. I realize how much has changed since that time. I stare at the moon sadly. Now we are in so much of a mess. I shake my head. _Well, at least now Light's still with me… and we've got ourselves a new family._ I think as I glance at the cave where our friends are asleep. I smile. We have been lucky to meet them all. Things may be complicated for us, but if we stick together, I'm sure someday they will work out for us. For now, I just want to enjoy my sister's company and the feeling of safety she gives me.

We continue enjoying the night breeze for a while, before I finally yawn. I put my head against Lightning's shoulder, smiling when she tenses but doesn't pull away. The sound of the leaves brushing against each other as wind blows past them is so relaxing. The grass under my hand sways. The wind is supposed to be cold, but with Light beside me, I don't feel cold at all. I gaze up to see a cloud passing the moon, blocking its light for a while. I turn to look at Lightning. She has turned her face at me, too, and I can stare into her blue eyes, amazed by the different shades of blue there. I am also happy that those usually-cold eyes are now looking at me with warmth in them. Smiling, I stare back at the moon, exhaling in content, listening to the night noises. Other than them, the only thing I can hear is Lightning's and my breathings. It was so quiet… and peaceful… and… safe.

Before I know it, I have already fallen asleep on Lightning's shoulder, dreaming of that moment when she showed up in my graduation ceremony, when I realized that I am not alone, that I still have a wonderful sister who loves me unconditionally, who understands my needs more than I do. The last thing I feel is Lightning's arms around me as she carries me back into the cave, just like she did on that night before the ceremony. Difference being, now I know that I won't find myself alone in the morning anymore.


	18. Chapter 18

I wake up in the morning when I feel Lightning tenses beside me. I open my eyes, turning around to see her.

"Light?" I reach my hand out to touch her arm. I am shocked to feel cold sweat covering her, and she is shaking.

"Light!" I sit up straight, kneeling beside her. Lightning turns to look at me, and I am taken aback when I meet her glare. She looks so furious. Her eyes are glowing like blue flames, her teeth are clenched and bared. Other people would've backed out or run upon seeing that glare, but I know better. Lightning is actually in pain. She is just trying to hide it. I glance at her stomach. She is clutching her wound, so I can't see it; but it is enough to prove that her wound is giving her trouble. Immediately I stand to wake Vanille up.

"Vanille, Vanille, wake up!" I shake her body. Before Vanille even opens her eyes, Fang, who is sleeping beside her, already wakes up and sits up straight on alert.

"Enemies?" she asks, her hand grabbing her lance.

I shake my head. "No, it's Lightning… I think her wound is giving her trouble! I need Vanille!" I continue shaking Vanille. Upon hearing this, Fang turns to glance at Lightning. I see her jaw tightens, then she hurriedly helps me to wake Vanille up.

"Oerba Dia Vanille!" Fang almost shouts as she shakes Vanille vigorously.

"Mmm…huh?" Vanille groans as she is forced to wake up. "What is it, Fang?"

"Light's got trouble. We need you."

Vanille immediately sits up straight and walks toward Lightning, followed by me and Fang. Fang approaches Light first and try to turn her body. Light growls at Fang, but Fang just ignores her and steps aside to let Vanille get a look on the wound. Vanille gently removes Lightning's hand from her stomach, and examines her wound. I glance over her shoulder to see it. I am horrified to see the wound is pulsating, and it is inflamed. Vanille's eyes widen.

"What's wrong? Is she okay?" I ask her impatiently.

Vanille shakes her head, running her fingers gently on the wound. Lightning's fists immediately clench and she shuts her eyes closed. Vanille hurriedly removes her hand. "I need bandage," she demands. I scurry to get it, and pass it to Vanille who immediately wrap it around Lightning's stomach. Lightning lets out a hiss as the bandage is tightened, but she quickly suppresses it.

Once she is done, Vanille gestures at me and Fang to follow her to the other side of the cave. I follow her impatiently, wanting to know what's wrong with Light.

"That wound isn't healed," Vanille turns and says to us. "It may look quite okay from the outside, but actually it's not. The inner part is only partially healed. She is in pain whenever she moves, she won't be able to move around too much…"

I stare at her, unable to believe what I just heard. "But…but…" I struggle to find words.

"But she has fought right after she woke up! She unleashed Wrath of Heavens!" Fang says what I wanted to say. She looks worried too.

"I think that was just pure luck… You know sometimes when you wake up from a faint, you can't remember what has happened and sorts of cannot feel anything? That was exactly what happened. Lightning woke up, unable to remember nor feel anything, and that was exactly when that Flan decided to attack us. So of course Light rushed to help us… unleashed the Wrath of Heavens… Then her senses kicked in again and she felt the pain. Remember how she buckled right after she unleashed that spell? That's the proof right there."

I shake my head in denial. "But, Vanille… Last night she was okay… I woke up last night and saw her gone, so I went out, found her and we talked for a while… She was okay…"

Vanille smiles sadly. "Do you know why she walks out in the middle of the night, Serah?"

"Well, she said she couldn't sleep and decided to take a walk… What's wrong with that? She often does it."

"She was in pain, Serah. That was why she walked out. She didn't want you to wake up and found her in that state. But it looks like it just worsens her condition, right?" Vanille turns to glance at Lightning, who is clutching her wound, breathing heavily, wincing with every breath.

I shake my head again. _Why must you do that… Light? I know you don't want to make me worried, but if this is what cost you… _

Fang mutters something that sounds like a "Foolhardy" and turns away. I stare at the ground. Lightning is not okay. I have been so naïve, thinking that she was okay just because she had managed to fight on that first day she woke up. I should've known better… a wound like that will need more time to heal. I look up to see Lightning. Seeing her in such condition… makes me feel helpless. _No! I can't think like this! _I shake my head in annoyance. _I've had enough being useless. From now on, I won't be helpless anymore… I'll act. Do something to help Light. _

I've made up my mind. Usually, Light is the one protecting me. Now it's my turn to protect her, either from enemies…. or from herself.

* * *

><p>The next few days have been very difficult for Lightning. Her wound seems to hurt so much, it prevents her from moving. She is in pain all the times, no matter whether she is lying down, sitting or standing. Sazh and Hope have gone to collect some herbs from the Font of Namva that can be made into a medicine to ease pain, according to Vanille. However, Lightning is not so keen on drinking the medicine because it is just so bitter and she hates it. But sometimes she still drinks it, though, when the pain becomes too unbearable. Well, actually she has never said it out loud, but I can see when she is in great pain and I force her to drink it.<p>

I can feel frustration emitting so intensely from Lightning. Her wound keeps giving her trouble and she can't even lift her gunblade without wincing. We stay in the cave together for a while, watching over Lightning, ensuring her wound doesn't worsen. Luckily, it has never reopened again. However, soon enough we have to leave the cave. We have to train. Barthandelus is still out there, and we need to slay him! For that, we have to train… but we know that Lightning wants to join us training in Archylte Steppe too.

However, I know she is not ready and she'll hurt herself if she joins us training in the Archylte Steppe. And I've promised myself to protect her, so I force her to stay in the cave and rest. Fortunately, the others all agree with me, and Lightning can't do anything about it. So we train in the Steppe, leaving Lightning alone in the cave to recuperate. Of course, she does her own training, despite light ones. Vanille and Hope have told her that she has to train lightly at first, then gradually increase the pace to regain her strength. Lightning, surprisingly, doesn't complain and does what they say. Looks like she has realized the seriousness of her injury. But since that day in the cave when I wake up to find her in pain, she refuses to talk to me as much as before. Sure, she answers if I ask her stuff, but that's all. She shuts herself away. I leave her alone, though. I know it must be hard and frustrating for her not to be able to fight. It is against her nature. She is protective, and not being able to do so, but being protected instead, makes her feel like she is being a burden. I know that's not true, but that is just how Lightning's mindset is.

I'm worried that Light will train too hard and strain her wound, but I can see she wants the wound to heal as soon as possible too. That is why she follows Hope's and Vanille's advice and does not train too hard. That's a relief. At least I don't have to worry that she will hurt herself training, so I can concentrate more on my own training. Speaking of which, I am thinking of getting myself a weapon… I can't just go to the final fight against Barthandelus with magic as my only weapon. I need a real weapon, like Lightning's gunblade or Fang's lance. But I haven't found anything that suits me. I know Lightning is the best person to ask about this kind of things, but I don't want to remind her about the looming fight with Barthandelus yet, so I keep silent. We have decided that we will not go to fight Barthandelus without Lightning, even if we have the sword. We need Lightning, with her speed and powerful all-round attacks. And also the feelings of assurance, confidence and safety that we can only feel with her around…

* * *

><p>So now here we are, in the middle of Archylte Steppe, heads looking up at a Zirnitra that is flying towards us threateningly, ready to attack us. That's our first training partner for today.<p>

I'm a bit worried, though. Usually Fang always partners Light in battles, but now that Lightning is not here, she will have to partner Snow. I wonder if they can work together?

"He's mine," I hear Fang says as she takes her stance, gripping her lance tighter and her eyes following the monster, anticipating its attack.

"Nope, he's mine," Snow replies, slamming his right fist into his left palm, grinning as he, too, follows the monster's movements with his eyes.

_Okay. Not a great start for a good teamwork, that is. _

"Guys, come on, this is not the time for childish competition! We're here to train our teamwork! Focus, please!" Sazh grumbles as he cocks his guns towards the Zirnitra. Behind him, Hope is gripping his boomerang tight, ready to launch it. Vanille stands beside Fang, swinging her rod around subconsciously as she watches the Zirnitra that is flying closer towards us.

I huff, readying a spell in my hand. Before I can stop myself from thinking about it, I already think that if Lightning is here, she could've released Wrath of Heavens and send that Zirnitra to the ground smoking. Speaking of which, we haven't seen her releasing it again after that first time… I shake my head to gain my concentration back. _This is not the time to think about it! Lightning is still recuperating… She mustn't push herself too hard._

I know that by now, Light must be doing her own training around the basecamp. I've seen her swinging her gunblade again these days, so I assume she must be getting better. Vanille and Hope don't have to check on the wound or bandage it anymore now, so yesterday Vanille had let Lightning wear her overcoat again, much to her relief. I'm relieved too, upon seeing her getting better… but I know she is still in pain. I've seen her training last few days. I've seen her struggling so hard to swing her gunblade, something she usually does so effortlessly. But now even the simple action of lifting it up seems to have already caused her wound to throb again. I just hope Lightning doesn't get too rash and try to train harder…

A shrilling shriek snaps me back to my surrounding. I look up at the sky, and see the Zirnitra already reaching us. I release my spell, followed closely by Sazh's bullets and Hope's boomerang. _Okay, for now I should concentrate on our own training._

* * *

><p>We return to the basecamp at night, exhausted and hungry. Snow and Sazh are dragging the Zirnitra we killed, our dinner for today. Hope and Vanille are off scouting around. As we enter the basecamp, we can hear sounds of explosion. I look around, worried.<p>

"Relax, kid."

I look up at Fang, who is patting my shoulder. "That's just our Lightning training."

She is right. As we get closer, we can see Lightning releasing Thunder spells at a big rock, causing fragments of it to be scattered. She is slashing at those scattering fragments with her gunblade. I watch, spellbound, as she slashes her gunblade left and right, hitting every fragment with great accuracy. My hope starts to rise as I watch her train. _She is getting better…_

At the end, Lightning releases a Thundaga at the rock, causing it to explode thoroughly. Lightning shoots forward into the mass of flying rocks, slashing her gunblade and releasing some small Aero spells to prevent the rock fragments from hitting her body. She manages to avoid all of them, but when she twists her body to slash at the last fragment, her movement suddenly halts and the fragment falls to the ground. I can see Light frowning in annoyance.

I move towards her with Fang, smiling upon seeing her holstering her gunblade and turns to look at me.

"Hey…" she nods at us.

"Yo, Light! I can see you're doing pretty great," Fang grins at her. "Come on, we're having dinner now… I bet you've been training the whole day, haven't ya?"

Light just mumbles something and walks towards Snow and Sazh who have started the campfire. She gives me a faint smile, and I reply her as I follow her.

"How are you feeling, sis?" I ask her.

"Fine."

I exhale in annoyance. But since I saw it myself that she has been doing quite good in her training, I let her be. She does look fine though… but I will not let my eyes off her. I must ensure she really is okay. I won't repeat the same mistake again, thinking she is okay just because she _looks _okay.

We are eating in silence, when suddenly we hear the sound of something running towards us. Our heads jerk up, and we immediately stand in alert. Lightning has drawn her gunblade and stand ready to fight, but I'm preparing to shoot anything that may attack her before she even needs to lift her weapon. I won't let her fight yet! I won't risk her hurting herself again. And I can see that Fang has silently positioned herself in front of Lightning as well. Looks like she is thinking the same thing as I do, then.

We wait in silence as the creature, whatever it is, seems to get closer. We all tense as it reaches a very close distance.

The bushes next to us burst as two creatures leap through it towards us. I am about to release the Fire spell in my hand when I hear Fang shouting "Don't attack!"

I stare at her, bewildered, as I see her lowering her lance and Lightning holstering her gunblade. I look back at the arriving figures, and realize that they are actually just Vanille and Hope, panting and looking panic.

"What's wrong, Vanille?" Fang asks her demandingly, concern and worry in her voice.

Vanille looks up, and I can see fear in her eyes. "Behemoths, Fang! Lots of them! At the Central Expanse… I think they are all coming from the north, where their lairs are, but I don't know why… they are rampaging!" Vanille shudders.

"It was terrifying," Hope says. "We were scouting around the area when we heard the Behemoths' roars. When we got closer to investigate, we saw so many of them… running around like mad in the Expanse, pouncing at the Gorgonopsids, Chocobos, Flans… basically anything that blocks their path. They seem to be enraged…"

"But did it seem like the entire Behemoth population from the North has come down here, Vanille?" Fang asks after listening to Hope's explanation.

"No, not really… but there are still quite a lot of them… I'll say, around thirty or forty."

"Thirty or forty Behemoths, that close to us? That's insane!" Sazh says in disbelief. But before his mouth even closes, a loud roar can be heard echoing through the night air. We all look up at the sound. It is a Behemoth, unmistakably.

Fang huffs. "This makes things complicated…"

"Why?" Snow asks. "If they are that close to us, it means they are a threat. We should just get rid of them, guys! Come on! Clean them all, ensure our own safety and the other wildlife around here! It'll be a great training for us, too!" he adds, punching the air and grinning in enthusiasm.

Fang ponders his suggestion at first. "Hmm, there doesn't seem to be any other way… and he's right, it'll be a great training for us…"

Fang considers it for a while more, before finally announcing her decision. "Okay, it's set then. Tomorrow we'll go Behemoth cleaning!" Fang says with a smirk on her face.

I suddenly feel worried. Not because of the Behemoths, but… I glance at Lightning.

"You're not coming with us, anyway, Light."

I turn to look in surprise at Fang, who just said those words. I feel relieved, though. I was thinking of ways to stop Lightning from joining us tomorrow… She is not ready yet. I still remember how she suddenly halted right before hitting that last fragment of rock. Her wound still hurts. She shouldn't be going around fighting too much. But of course, I was too nervous and a bit scared to say this directly to her. Luckily, Fang has said it, dead-on. I look at Lightning to see her reaction.

To everyone's surprise, Lightning's face remains emotionless. She just stares back at Fang, then turns and walks away without saying anything. I follow her with my eyes, before I see her stopping under a tree and simply jumps up to its branches high above the ground. She disappears in its shadows, and no other sound comes from her. I huff. At least she accepts it without protesting. The others are staring at me and Fang, before I finally shrug and Fang chuckles. And so we leave Lightning alone and continue eating dinner, thinking of the big task tomorrow. Behemoths' rampage, huh… it will indeed be a good opportunity to train, if not sounding a little terrifying. A Behemoth by itself already looks so threatening, not to mention if it stands on its hind legs. How much more forty of them, all enraged and murderous. It will be a tough fight. But at least Lightning won't be there, so I don't have to worry about her.


	19. Chapter 19

I wake up in the next morning to see everyone getting ready for the big fight today. I look around. _Where's Lightning?_ I can't see her anywhere. I feel a bit worried. What if Lightning has gotten some stupid plan again and gone all by herself to fight the Behemoths? Is this why she accepted Fang's plan right away last night? These thoughts are circling in my mind, making me worried. But since the others are not saying anything, I just keep quiet and join the others eating some of the fruit that we kept. _Maybe I'm thinking too much… She might have gone for a short walk. She'll return soon._

"Say, guys, does any of you know where Lightning is?" I finally lose my patience and ask the others when time passes and Lightning still has not returned. I feel my heart lurches as all of them look back at me with surprise in their eyes.

"We thought _you _know where she is?" Snow asks me back, looking confused.

"Wait, does this mean… none of us actually know where Lightning is?" Worry beginning to leak into my voice. The others all look worried too. I turn my head around, trying to find anything that may give us some clue about Lightning's whereabouts.

"Don't worry, Serah. She may be off training somewhere," Fang says.

_How can she be so sure? _

"Then why didn't Light wait for us to wake up? Why did she leave so early?" I ask her back.

"Come on, Serah, you know what happened yesterday. I forbade her from coming with us. I know I've hurt her pride by that, but hell, she seriously is not ready… yet. I know she knows this, that's why she accepted my plan quite well yesterday… But do you really think she'll stick around to see us taking off for the battle, cannot do anything except wishing us good luck? Please. I'm sure she is feeling useless now, that's why she left so early to train… and to avoid seeing us going to battle without her."

I ponder Fang's explanation for a while. That really makes sense… I think that is exactly what Lightning feels. I huff. _At least she could just tell me where she goes… _I look around again. If she has gone training, then she shouldn't be so far away from here… maybe I can catch a glimpse of her. That'll make me feel better and not worrying about her the whole day. The others are looking around too, trying to spot Lightning.

Just before I am about to give up and just go for the Behemoth cleaning, my eyes catch a glimpse of a pink glint. I turn around. That pink glint just now, could it be…?

"Ha! Looks like she's doing even better today," Fang says, smirking as she stares at something behind me. I turn and follow her gaze.

There! Quite a distance away from us, another cliff is protruding from the ground, reaching for the sky like a gray human finger. On its wall, I see a flash of pink of Lightning's hair, flashing from time to time when sunlight is reflected on her hair as she climbs.

"She is going rock climbing now, huh?" Sazh remarks, raising his eyebrows. "Soldier Girl really is training herself hard."

Hope is staring at Lightning's form with a mixture of admiration and worry in his eyes. Vanille is, too. I know they are thinking of the same question as me: is her wound okay? Climbing that steep of a cliff surely needs a lot of energy… what if she falls? But as we look at her climbing steadily and with minor difficulty, we begin to feel assured that Lightning is okay. We don't see anything wrong in the way she moves that may indicate her wound is giving her trouble, either.

"Alright, so now that we know our Lightning is alive and kicking in her training, why don't we finish our own business too?" Fang claims our attention back to our task, swinging her lance. Vanille laughs upon hearing this.

"Can't wait anymore to kick some Behemoths, Fang?" she says, begins running into the wilderness of Archylte Steppe. "All right! Let's go everyone!" she shouts at us, waving her hands.

"Wait up, Vanille!"

And so all of us run into the Steppe, ready to clean some Behemoth mess. Far behind us, Lightning is training hard as well.

* * *

><p><em>Damn.<em>

Lightning is lying on the cliff top, panting. The climb has been difficult for her, since her wound kept burning and it restricted her movements. Normally, she would have leapt her way up the cliff, but now she can't. The wound throbs all the time, and even Lightning knows that if she tries to perform even a simple flip, the damn wound may reopen. So she decides to wait for a while before training her usual flips again. However, having her movements restricted leaves her in a very bad mood. The knowledge that her friends are now out there fighting doesn't make her feel better either.

Lightning recalls bitterly Fang's dead-on rejection of her joining the battle. She didn't protest, since she knows that Fang has seen her failing to slash that last fragment of rock yesterday and thus deemed her as not ready.

_Tch._

But deep inside her heart, Lightning does realize that she is actually not ready… yet. That's why she didn't protest and just saved her energy for training. She was determined to regain her strength again as soon as possible and join the others in the battle against the Behemoths. Yet now here she is, panting and feeling exhausted just because of a simple climb. _Argh…_

As her frustration towards herself increases, Lightning gets more determined. Without further ado, she leaps back onto her feet, stretches and starts sprinting, ignoring her thirst and exhaustion. She plans to sprint all the way to the Central Expanse before turning back to the basecamp. She'll train hard, regain her strength and join the others in battles like before.

* * *

><p>"What the…!" A loud bang can be heard as Fang crashes into Snow, again. Without waiting any longer, I send Protect spells at their tumbling bodies, right on time before the Behemoth we are fighting pounces at them. The spells manage to repel its attack, and the Behemoth staggered back, roaring as Sazh's bullets and Hope's spells bombard its back. Fang and Snow, meanwhile, have stood up again, bickering.<p>

"What's your problem, Fang!" Snow complains.

"My problem? _My _problem? I was about to ask you the same thing! Why the hell do you keep getting in my way?" Fang snaps back.

"Guys! Peace and focus, please!" Vanille interferes as she sends various debuffs at the Behemoth, who has stood up on its hind legs by now. "Things are getting a little troublesome here!"

Snow and Fang have been at each other all morning. Fang has been complaining about Snow who keeps getting in her way, preventing her from attacking and also causing unpleasant incidents like what just happened. Snow, on the other hand, has been complaining about Fang who keeps crashing onto his back, thus causing him to stumble and fail in punching the beast. Truth is, Snow always tries to punch at the beast right when Fang is also about to launch her attack. The result? Fang runs forward, ready to strike, right when Snow gets into her way and attempts to punch the beast as well. And so Fang crashes onto his back, nullifying their attacks and causing more trouble for us defenders who have to cast more spells to protect them.

"Aaargh! This isn't working!" Fang grumbles as she turns away to pounce again at the Behemoth. Unfortunately, Snow has decided to make his move at the same time as Fang does. And so there they go again, Snow accidentally punching Fang's shoulder.

"Are you looking for a fight?" Fang turns around, angrily swiping her lance at Snow, who needs to duck in order to avoid being executed. "Sorry, Fang! It was unintentional!" he says.

Meanwhile, Sazh and Hope's continuous assault seems to have taken its toll on the beast. It is staggering. Seeing a chance, Fang ignores Snow and leaps, readying her Highwind move. However, at the same time Snow is readying his Sovereign Fist as well. Yet they are standing too close to each other that it is dangerous for them to release both of their attacks, since the effect would've been too massive and may even hurt both of them. Realizing this, Fang sends Snow a poisonous glare as she lets herself fall back down to the ground without unleashing her Highwind, expecting Snow to unleash his Sovereign Fist. Bad decision. Snow also cancels his attack at the same time as Fang, expecting Fang to continue hers. The result: both attacks are cancelled, and the beast regains its balance again.

"Not again!" Fang groans.

But fortunately, right then Sazh unleashes his Cold Blood attack and it hits the beast. It lets out its last roar before finally falling backwards, dead. Sazh, Hope, me and Vanille exhale in relief. That's the fifth Behemoth we've taken care of this morning. I look up at the sky._ Well, now is not morning anymore_, I think as I squint at the bright sun. Fang and Snow, meanwhile, are at it again.

"I thought you were attacking!" Fang shouts at Snow.

"I thought _you _were attacking!" Snow replies.

"All right, all right, stop that, guys!" Sazh interferes. "We win, right? That's enough, there is no need to fuss over something so trivial like that!"

"Trivial, huh? If this continues, we may end up executing each other one day!" Fang directs her glare at Sazh now, who squirms under her murderous glare. "I mean, seriously!" Fang continues. "I need teamwork from you, Snow! If you can't do it, then don't use your fists anymore, just use magic so you won't get in my way!"

"But I thought the best strategy to fight a Behemoth is to have two people using physical attacks while others use magic? Come on, Fang, we have to get along. We can't continue with just you doing the physical attacks. We need at least two people attacking physically, and I can do it!" Snow tries to explain.

"Yeah, but what good does it do if we just keep getting in each other's way? The physical attack becomes zero!" Fang shouts again.

I huff. The rest of us just watch helplessly as they keep arguing. I know why they find it difficult to work together, though. They are not used to each other's fighting skills, they don't know where and when the other will attack next. I must admit, it is hard to coordinate with an entirely new battle partner. There is exception though. Fang and Lightning, they have been good battle partners even from the beginning, when they have just met. Their fighting style fits each other. They trust each other, and they seem to be thinking the same way because they look like they can read each other's minds during battles. For instance, Lightning will be flipping away after she finishes her flurry of attacks, right before Fang rushes in to stab at the enemy. I don't even dare to think what would happen if their timing is off. But it has never happened before and their partnership is flawless. Yep, they are our best fighters, our 'death machines' as how Sazh calls them. Fang has more destructive power in her devastating attacks, but Lightning has the speed and flexibility in her all-round attacks.

But now Lightning is not here, and Fang is forced to partner Snow who usually acts as a Sentinel. She is not used to his direct fighting style, and she can't predict his next moves. The same problem applies to Snow as well. So here they are, arguing and complaining.

"Umm… Fang? Shouldn't we… move on?" Vanille interrupts hesitantly after a few minutes of continuous argument.

Fang stops arguing immediately. She groans in annoyance and mumbles something that sounds like "I miss Lightning," before walking away with Vanille towards another Behemoth who can be seen running around in a distance. We all exhale in relief before following them. I glance at Snow. He smiles apologetically at me, scratching his head. I know it's not his fault that he can't coordinate with Fang as good as Lightning, but I can't help but admitting that Fang's annoyance is reasonable. Snow's attacks are too irregular and random, with such great force in it that makes it difficult for him to change direction while attacking. Hence, Fang can't predict his attacks and when their paths cross, there is bound to be a crash due to Snow's inability to change course while attacking. I huff as I remember how easy it has seemed for Lightning and Fang to fight together side by side, their attacks alternating each other, forming a continuous flurry of blows at the enemy until it succumbs. And they most definitely can adjust to sudden changes in battles because of Lightning's terrific flexibility and her skills to perform various flips to change the course of her attacks anytime. This is crucial, since Fang isn't exactly the flexible type. She is like Snow, having difficulty in changing the course of her powerful attacks midway, although not as inflexible as him. And so this problem rises. When an inflexible person and a flexible person fight together, they'll back each other up and become nearly invincible. But when the flexible person is not available and there are only two inflexible people fighting together, heavy crashes and conflicts are bound to happen. No wonder Fang misses Light.

* * *

><p>The afternoon sun is scorching hot. It sends its blazing rays all over the place, causing plants to wilt and wildlife to hide under shades or stroll around ponds and rivers. Under the heat, Lightning's sprint has slowed down to a jog as her energy begins to deplete. She has been sprinting all the way to the Central Expanse, but now as she makes her way back to the base camp, she really needs to rest. Her breathing is ragged, her wound is burning and her legs do not really obey her command. Yet Lightning ignores all of this because she knows she is actually capable to run way further distances than this has her wound not kept throbbing.<p>

_Pathetic. If I want to regain my strength, I'd better ignore this stupid wound and just continue._

So Lightning ignores the increasing pain from her wound and continues running towards the basecamp. However, the throbbing has turned into constant pain by now, causing her legs to go numb.

"Ugh!" Lightning stumbles and falls to the ground when a sudden stab of even greater pain shoots through her stomach.

"Dammit!" Lightning pushes herself up, holding her stomach. _It just won't give me a break!_

Lightning attempts to jog again, but her vision immediately goes blurry and she finds herself staggering. Lightning groans in frustration. _What, I can't even walk straight now? _Another throb forces her to grit her teeth. It's true that the wound has never stopped hurting since Lightning wakes up, even after she drinks the herbs' essence Vanille gives her; but usually its throbbing can still be ignored or held in. But now… it's actually preventing her from moving.

_I won't give in to you!_

With that, Lightning forces herself to move. Her walk is unsteady at first, but then her vision clears again and she begins jogging. She knows Vanille and Hope would have stopped her if they are here right now. They have been telling her to regard her wound all the times and stop doing strenuous activities if it starts to hurt more. But Lightning has had enough. She has been training lightly these days, yet the wound's throbbing never subsides. Now, for once she wants to defy the wound, ignores it and just makes her way back to the base camp as soon as possible. _It's getting late, anyway, _she tries to reason to herself. _I'll meet even more danger from the nocturnal monsters if I walk slowly back than if I run all the way._

So Lightning jogs, as the sun begins to move farther to the West. She watches it silently.

_Serah… what are you doing now?_

Images of her friends fighting Behemoths make her shake her head in annoyance. She can imagine them so vividly, sending spells and blows at the Behemoths. In her mind, she imagines herself being there with them; moving freely without worrying about the stupid wound, just letting herself absorbed in attacking the Behemoths.

Lightning's imagination stops as she feels strange wind blowing from above her. She looks up immediately; right to see an Amphisbaena striking at her. Moving right on time, Lightning jumps to the side and parries the attack. She stays in a crouching position on the ground, panting. _Too careless. I didn't even realize it was coming._

Truth is, Lightning was too exhausted and drained that she could not detect the Amphisbaena's presence. She starts to stand up, feeling unusually nervous as she eyes the Amphisbaena who is preparing its next attack. She is drained. She can barely move. She can't possibly beat this monster at her current state. So, the only way out of this is…

Lightning turns and sprints full tilt. The Amphisbaena shrieks, beginning to fly after her. Luckily, this Amphisbaena seems to be an old one. It flies not as fast as the usual Amphisbaena Lightning has seen. Lightning runs and runs, aware of the Amphisbaena's shrieks that sound to be further away. She glances backward. The good news is, the Amphisbaena has turned around and flown away. The bad news? It has sent a Wind Shear attack at Lightning's direction, and it's coming too fast to be outrun.

_Damn. _

Following her instinct, Lightning flips away, successfully dodging the attack by mere centimeters. She can feel the attack passes below her as she flips, causing her cape to flutter. Then suddenly she feels like her stomach is being torn as her wound throbs.

"Argh!" Lightning grunts as she falls to the ground, clutching her stomach. Her wound keeps throbbing, and darkness begins to fill the edges of her vision. _I can't just lie down here! I have to get back to the base camp!_ Lightning forces herself to stand up and walks, only to feel hard ground slammed onto her knees as her legs buckle again. Stubbornly, Lightning stands up one more time and staggers forward. Her walk is unsteady, since her vision is blurred and she suddenly finds it very hard to breathe. Before moving too far, Lightning has fallen onto her knees again.

_Okay. This is not good._

* * *

><p>"All right! Let's call it a day!" Fang announces as the sun sets on the West and shadows begin to spread on the Steppe. The rest of us let out a long breath of relief as we begin keeping our weapons. We have just finished our eighth Behemoth for the day. To be frank, our progress isn't as good as we hoped. The Behemoths really are rampaging, and this gives them a surge of energy and they can run faster. We have been getting trouble pinning them down. Fang and Vanille are sure that by now the Behemoths would have scattered all over the place, and we might have to take further journeys to clean them all. We can't let these rampaging Behemoths roaming free. We have to clean at least three quarters of them.<p>

According to Vanille, there may be a fight involving an Ochu near the river at the Northern Highland and the Ochu might have contaminated the water with its poison. Hence when the Behemoth populations there drink it, they become enraged and go rampaging, posing danger on every life that gets in their way. That's why, more for obligation than practicality, we decide to do our best in cleaning up these rampaging Behemoths. Fortunately, Vanille is sure that no more Behemoths will go rampaging since the contaminated river water should have been purified by rains by now.

I feel so exhausted. Today has been a long day, and I'm sure the others are as tired as me. Sazh is wheezing as he sits down on the ground, Hope is bending down, holding his knees, while Vanille squats down. Fang and Snow are not in a better condition. They have suffered some unnecessary bruises due to their crashes and collisions. We have healed them, of course, but they are still in a sour mood right now, especially Fang. During the last fight, Snow has suddenly got a random urge to experiment his newly-learnt Saboteur spells at the Behemoth. Unfortunately, he ended up casting Poison and Daze at Fang as she lurched to attack the Behemoth and got in the way of the spells. Luckily, Vanille's frantic Death spell at the last moment managed to kill the Behemoth before it got any chance to harm the immobilized Fang. Fang was furious, of course.

"Lightning. Where's Lightning? I want Light! I beg the Makers, please, I want her back! I've had enough fighting in pair with this guy!" Fang had shouted in anger and desperate frustration as Vanille applied Esuna to remove the Poison from her system. Snow kept apologizing, of course, but it was useless. Fang is dangerously in a bad mood now.

"All right, let's go back!" Fang swings her lance at us, starts making her way back to the base camp. Vanille stands up immediately and chases Fang. Hope helps Sazh up, then they and Snow start walking too. I walk faster to keep up with Fang and Vanille's pace. I start wondering how Lightning is doing now… Is she okay? Suddenly I miss her. I haven't seen her at all today, all I saw was just a glimpse of her this morning. I want to meet her, to talk to her. Geez, she must be in a solemn mood today… Since we go off to battle without her and all… She must be feeling bad. I want to comfort her. I know Lightning wouldn't want to be comforted, but I'll at least talk to her. And so I start walking even faster, followed shortly by Fang and Vanille. Sazh's grumbles can be heard a bit further from behind.

* * *

><p>We reach the Vallis Media when the moon has risen, perched high on the night sky. The stars are shining as well, basking the land with silver light and dancing shadows of the branches and leaves. I'm grateful for the light, since I don't like wandering in complete darkness. The base camp can already be seen from here. Vanille runs off, laughing as she goes ahead of everyone towards the base camp. I cannot wait anymore to lie down on the ground, stare at the stars and just sleep. I'm so tired… but I want to talk to Lightning at the same time, too.<p>

A short but loud cry suddenly comes from Vanille as she steps into the base camp. My head shoots up in alert, before I run towards Vanille, Fang in front of me while the others follow a little further behind.

"What's wrong, Vanille?" Fang demands as she reaches Vanille. Vanille doesn't answer, she just stares at something that is lying against a rock.

"Light!" I shout as I recognize that figure.

Lightning is lying limp on the ground, her back against a rock. Her head bows down, her right hand clutching her stomach. I approach her hurriedly, kneeling and reaching out to touch her face. It's cold.

Right when I touch her cheek, Lightning opens her eyes a little. Her eyes shift to stare at my face, before a low whisper comes from her lips. "Serah…"

"Yes, sis, I'm here… What happened?" I ask her anxiously, but she doesn't answer me anymore.

Lightning looks so exhausted. She cannot even lift up her head. I turn around to look for Vanille, who is already kneeling beside me. Fang stands behind us, looking worried now instead of angry.

"What happened to you, Light? Did any Behemoth stray here?" Vanille asks Lightning.

"No…just being… careless… too tired…" Lightning struggles to say.

Vanille shakes her head. She reaches out and begins unclasping Lightning's overcoat, trying to examine the wound. The skin around it has reddened. Without saying anything, Vanille sends a few healing spells at Lightning. "Can you get the medicine, Serah?" she asks.

I nod, hurriedly stand up and grab the medicine, handing it over to Vanille. She tries to give it to Lightning, but she shakes her head, refusing to drink. I know the medicine is very bitter, Fang has confirmed it, but Lightning needs it! I hate seeing her face paled in her effort to endure the pain.

"Come on, Light, please, just drink it!" I say to her, shaking her shoulders a little. "I know it's bitter, but it'll help you feel better! Please?"

Lightning groans, but at least she starts drinking the medicine. I can see her face grimaces upon tasting the bitterness. She coughs for a while after drinking the medicine, but afterwards, Lightning opens her eyes fully and lifts up her head. I huff in relief upon.

"What exactly happened, Light?" Fang asks.

"Are you okay, sis?" I ask her.

Lightning nods, before trying to get up. But she wobbles, and Vanille grabs her arm before she falls. Lightning shakes her head in annoyance, holding on to Vanille before straightening her body and refuses Vanille's support.

"What happened?" Vanille asks her again. The others have reached us by now too.

"Whoa, what happened to you, Light? You look beaten up." Snow asks, earning him a glare from Light.

"Nothing. I'm fine," she says.

"Lightning, stop lying and tell us what happened!" I demand, rising my voice a little.

Lightning ignores me and tries to walk away instead. I recall what she has said to Vanille earlier. That's when I understand everything.

"Oh, I know what this is about!" I shout at her back. She stops, but doesn't turn around to meet my eyes.

I cannot believe it. She is injured, badly! She shouldn't be doing this!

"You've been training, right, Lightning?" I begin attacking. "You pushed yourself too hard, and see what happens to you! It hurts, doesn't it?" I shift my eyes to try looking at her wound. "You know you're not supposed to do that, Lightning! You're supposed to be training lightly! What, have you gone out there today and tried fighting? You're lucky to be alive! You got out there, didn't you, and I bet you tried fighting something, straining your wound and had to stagger your way back here! That's right, isn't it?"

I know I've guessed correctly when I see her shoulders tense. Lightning turns around to face me, anger in her eyes.

"Mind your own business, Serah," she growls.

_Oh no, you're not getting away just like that._

"Lightning!" I shout again at her. "You know you're not supposed to be training too hard right? So why the hell do you have to push yourself like that?"

Lightning doesn't answer, instead she starts walking away.

"Look at me, Light! I won't move from here unless you tell me what happened!" I begin using my threatening strategy. It usually works…

It does. Lightning turns around, intense anger in her eyes, before finally answers my question.

"Yeah, Serah, you're right! I went out training today and got an overzealous Amphisbaena from the Central Expanse chasing me! Then the damn wound started throbbing again and I had to drag myself back here! Satisfied?" she hissed that last word at me. I stare surprised for a few moments before her words make sense in my head.

"There's more to it than that… you did push yourself too hard, right? If not, you wouldn't be chased by an Amphisbaena at all," I insist. "You went as far as the Central Expanse, didn't you?"

Lightning groans in annoyance, but I know I'm right.

Right then, Vanille moves in.

"Lightning! You can't do that, you know! How if the wound reopened? You'd be alone and no one could help you! You could've died!" she says.

"I know you're training hard so you can rejoin us in battle, Light…" Fang says in a low voice. "But this isn't the way. You should be resting! Or at least, do less strenuous training. Come on, a wound that big surely needs some time to heal… Don't expect too much from yourself, Light!"

Lightning still looks angry, but upon Vanille and Fang's outbursts, she nods.

"Hmmm, now I'm uncomfortable to leave you alone again tomorrow, Light," Fang says. She then turns to look at Vanille. "What do you say, 'Nille, will you stay behind tomorrow and watch over her?"

"No problem, Fang!" Vanille replies, grinning.

Upon hearing this, Lightning turns around sharply.

"I don't need you to babysit me, Vanille," she growls.

"Oooh, but you bring it onto yourself, Light," Fang replies. "After seeing what you've done to yourself today, I am now worried to leave you behind alone. So Vanille will accompany you tomorrow. She'll ensure you don't train too hard. Plus, she can help you should any problem occurs."

"Look, I know I overdid it today, but it doesn't mean I'm suicidal, okay? I want to heal as soon as possible too! I admit today I'm careless, but I won't repeat the mistake again. You don't have to leave Vanille behind to guard me!" Lightning snaps at Fang.

"Too bad, Light. It's decided," I add. She turns to face me, her eyebrows rise. "Not that we don't trust you, it's just that it's simply logical to have at least one Medic with you in case any trouble occur, Light… And since Vanille is willing, so what's the problem? She won't disturb your training. She'll just overlook should anything wrong happens."

"I agree, Light…" Hope's voice suddenly joins the fray.

"Me too," Sazh and Snow say at the same time.

Fang grins. Lightning knows she has been defeated, and huffs. "Do as you like…" she says, before turning and walking away.

I watch her go silently. _Isn't her wound still hurting?_ I think as I observe her right hand still hasn't let go of her stomach. I huff too. _Well, at least I know tomorrow she'll be okay with Vanille._


	20. Chapter 20

"Just pretend I'm not here and do your usual stuff, Light!" That cheerful voice rings through the morning air.

Lightning shakes her head in annoyance. _How can I possibly ignore you while you keep staring at and talking to me?_

The morning is beautiful, the wind blows gently and the sun shines warmly. The whole group has gone to continue their Behemoth cleaning after breakfast, and Lightning is left alone to train. Well, not completely alone, considering Vanille is left behind as well to watch over her. However, Lightning is not as enthusiastic about training under Vanille's watch as Vanille is.

"So? So? What do you want to do first?" Vanille asks, sounding so happy. She begins to jump around Lightning, swinging her arms. Lightning couldn't help but think that Vanille is looking like a puppy about to be taken for a Frisbee play with its master.

"Vanille, look, I don't know about this…" Lightning starts, but Vanille cuts her.

"Aww, don't worry, I won't disturb you! Just do your training as per normal!"

"The thing is, I don't usually train right here…"

Vanille's eyes widen with excitement. "Oh, I get it! So you go somewhere else to train, right? No problem, I'll go with you!"

Lightning winces. "It's a bit… far."

Vanille laughs. "Don't worry, I don't mind some morning walk, Light!" she says, giving Lightning her thumbs-up.

"I run."

"Oh…" Now Vanille gets it. If Lightning runs, then it will be kinda hard… She runs very fast, and Vanille will certainly struggle to keep up. Yet she doesn't want to be a hindrance. Serah has trusted her to watch over Lightning, so she won't disappoint her! She will not let Lightning off her eyes even for a minute. So she just smiles and says to Lightning,

"No worries, I'll keep up!"

Lightning hesitates for a moment, before finally saying "Try your best."

And so they run, Lightning leading, the first work-out of the day.

* * *

><p>"Wow, I've never guessed you actually train here, Light," Vanille remarks.<p>

No answer.

Lightning and Vanille have reached their destination, a secluded area at Atzilut's Tear. The place is guarded by cliffs on three sides, and the shadows of the cliffs shelter the place from the sun that has begun to get uncomfortably hot. A waterfall flows from above one of the cliff into a small lake that is also connected into a small river. Overall, the place is solitary and perfect for training.

Vanille is sitting on the grass, leaning back on her palms.

"Aww…"

Vanille is out of breath, the run from the basecamp to Atzilut's Tear has been quite long and, honestly, too fast. Lightning had jogged at the beginning, but then her pace quickened and the next thing Vanille knew was that she was struggling to keep up with Lightning. She ran as fast as she could, but she still could not catch up. Moreover, Lightning didn't slow down for the entire journey, and this most definitely makes Vanille exhausted and wheezing for breath. She dropped herself to the ground blissfully the moment she saw Lightning stopped.

Vanille opens her mouth, trying to breathe in as much oxygen as she can. "Whew!"

Looking up at the sky, Vanille feels extremely thankful for the breeze that blows on her face. Then she sees Lightning taking out her gunblade from its holster.

"Aren't you going to rest for a while?" Vanille asks Lightning in puzzlement.

"No."

With that simple answer, Lightning starts walking towards the small lake, stopping just at its side. Then she swings her gunblade, slashing at a big rock that protrudes from the cliff. She doesn't say anything else since.

Vanille watches Lightning with interest and awe. Lightning is very fit. She is not even out of breath, while Vanille is practically feeling like she is dying. She scurries towards the river, washes her face and drinks a few gulps.

"Don't you want to drink?" she asks Lightning.

The only answer she gets is an annoyed grunt that she interprets as "no".

"Okay, then…"

And so Vanille just sits there, enjoying the nature around her while looking up at Lightning from time to time to ensure she is okay. She is, after all, injured.

* * *

><p>Noon arrives, bringing with it scorching heat from the sun. Even under the protection of the cliffs' shadows, the place feels awfully hot.<p>

Vanille groans as the heat begins to make her feel terribly uncomfortable. She stands up and turns around to look at Lightning. Somehow, the soldier is still in her position by the cliff, seemingly unaffected by the heat. She is now jumping high upwards before slashing her gunblade at another rock jutting out from the cliff's wall, a few meters above the ground. Vanille recognizes some movements from Lightning's Army of One attack as she slashes at the rock, before falling back down to the ground. Then she repeats the procedure.

Vanille tilts her head. Jumping so high over and over again like that must be very tiring… especially under this heat, she thinks. Yet Lightning hasn't shown any sign that she wants to rest. Her legs continue working hard, her muscles flex and contract as she continues her training, jumping and slashing and falling again. But something seems amiss…

Vanille frowns as she realizes something doesn't feel right with Lightning's attack pattern. It seems to be lacking something… Vanille tilts her head to the other side as she observes Lightning's attack pattern once again. Then it clicks in her head as she watches Lightning finishes her last blow on the rock and lets herself fall back to the ground.

Lightning is not flipping away like she usually does. In battles, Vanille is used to seeing Lightning releases her fast chain of attacks at the enemy before flipping away to evade the possible counter attack from the enemy. Those flips have been so natural for her they've almost been a reflex to her. Vanille recalls Lightning's usual attack pattern again. Undoubtedly, Lightning should've performed one flip at the end of her attack chain to get back to the ground. But now? No flips at all. Vanille looks more attentively at Lightning's expression. It's subtle, but Vanille has been travelling with Lightning long enough now to notice that she looks frustrated. Vanille lowers her gaze, feeling sad. Lightning's wound must still be hurting, that's why she hasn't performed her usual flips. Who knows, maybe it is hurting now. The problem is, Lightning is so stoic that it's hard to tell whether her wound is hurting her or not. Vanille exhales. _Oh, well…_

Vanille keeps staring, feeling more and more agitated as the silence continues. She knows Lightning has always been the quiet type, but it doesn't mean she has gotten used to the silence. She suddenly has a wild idea of screaming or maybe singing out loud, just to break the silence. She giggles at the thought of seeing Lightning's surprised face.

Vanille looks up at the sky. It is bright now, the sun still radiating its scorching heat. Vanille shakes her head, thinking that if she doesn't do something to cool off, she may be driven mad by the heat soon. She glances at Lightning. She can see by now that Lightning is getting tired. _About time, _she thinks, _considering you have been training nonstop since the morning._

Lightning seems to be affected by the heat, too. Seriously, if she doesn't rest soon, she'll exhaust herself. Then her wound may start hurting her again. And isn't that what Vanille is supposed to prevent?

Vanille grins mischievously as an idea pops in her mind. She stands up and walks towards Lightning, who is having her back on Vanille at the moment. She has stopped her jumping attacks and is currently facing the lake, slashing her gunblade around. Vanille can see Lightning's arm muscles working hard, tense from her continuous exertion since the morning. Vanille knows how heavy that gunblade is. She has borrowed it once from Lightning, just to get a feel of it. And even though Vanille is also strong, she still finds the gunblade a bit heavy. Yet Lightning seems so relaxed using it, turning and slashing it around as though it is just an extension of her arm. A super sharp and deadly extension, that is.

Vanille grins as she calls out for Lightning.

"Hey Lightniiiing… isn't it very hot around here?"

Lightning turns around, her eyebrows raised.

"Not really," she says, before turning away again and continues her training.

"I know it is, Light…" Vanille insists. "And I think you'll dehydrate yourself to a critical level if you don't stop now and do something to cool off."

Without waiting for her answer, Vanille continues. "And I have the perfect solution for that!"

"Wha…?" Lightning turns her head to look at Vanille, but before she can do anything else, Vanille has lurched and crashes onto her, sending the two of them falling headfirst into the lake.

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that for?" Lightning demands as her head breaks through the water's surface beside Vanille. Vanille just giggles.<p>

"I'm just doing my duty, Light! The others trust me to prevent you from training too hard, right? I'm doing it!" She laughs again, splashing water onto Lightning's face.

Lightning squirms from the splash. She begins to swim towards the bank.

"Well, you've done your job, now I have to go."

"Not that fast, Light! You've cooled off, yes, but you still need to rest for a while or at least drink some water!" Vanille insists, swimming to follow Lightning.

"No, thanks," Lightning turns her back on Vanille and starts swimming again towards the bank.

A big mistake.

One moment Lightning was swimming with her head above the surface, the next moment Vanille has lurched forward and landed on Lightning's back. Her hands grab Lightning's shoulders and pushed her into the water.

Lightning thrashed her arms wildly, trying to break free from Vanille's grip as she is forced to gulp some water. Yet her grip is surprisingly strong, and she keeps holding Lightning under water. Her giggles can be heard above the surface.

_If that's how you want to play it…_

Lightning turns around to face Vanille and grabs her waist, pulling her down under the surface as well. Vanille yelps as she is pulled underwater. Totally caught off guard, she releases Lightning from her grip.

Lightning immediately swims away as fast as she can, finally reaching the bank. She steps out of the water with a feeling of triumph as she watches Vanille's head breaks through the surface, turning around looking for her. When she spots her already standing on the bank, Vanille groans.

"Hey, that's so mean!" she says.

"Excuse me? You are one to talk, considering you sneaked on me, tackled me into the lake and tried to drown me," Lightning answers, crossing her arms.

"But I'm just trying to help," Vanille answers, pouting. She too swims towards the bank and climbs up.

"Whatever," Lightning says, turning around and shakes her head, sending droplets of water trickling from her wet hair. Vanille watches her attentively. She likes Lightning's hair. She likes its unusual color and the spiky, wispy bangs that always fall carelessly on Lightning's forehead, sometimes even covering her right eye. Yet Vanille finds them looking nice, especially the spiky part on the right side of Lightning's head. Vanille wants to ruffle it sometimes, to touch that silky pink hair with her fingers. But of course she hasn't the courage to do so. Probably no one does, if they still value their lives. Except Serah, that is. Vanille smiles upon remembering how Serah scolds Lightning last night.

Vanille snaps back into reality when she sees Lightning resumes her training again. She huffs, settling to sit on the ground against a tree.

However, soon afterwards, Lightning groans in annoyance as she holsters her gunblade.

"Finally deciding to rest?" Vanille asks, sitting up straight and grinning at the soldier.

"No, but this thing is making my movements more difficult," Lightning answers, tugging her wet overcoat with annoyance.

"Ooops…" Vanille says softly. Of course, the wet overcoat must have gotten heavier and it will most certainly affect Lightning's movement.

Lightning tries jumping, but when her jump doesn't reach its usual height, she stops trying and groans in annoyance, removing her overcoat and throws it aside. Vanille giggles guiltily as Lightning shoots her an annoyed look before continues her training. Vanille reaches out to grab Lightning's overcoat from the ground and spreads it on a rock onto which a ray of sunlight shines. It will fasten the drying. Then Vanille looks back at Lightning.

Vanille couldn't help but notice how fit Lightning is. Her abdominal muscles rippled her stomach, causing her to look both beautiful and dangerous at the same time. But then Vanille's gaze falls on the red line that stretches on Lightning's stomach. The wound. Vanille always feels uneasy whenever she looks at it. She is not used to seeing wounds gaping open like that, because usually she can heal them immediately with her spells. But this one, it's different. No matter how many spells she casts on it, it seems to be unaffected. And so it keeps gaping like that, showing no major sign if closing. It must have hurt like hell… Vanille glances to look at Lightning's face again. She wonders how Lightning can endure the pain and keep training like this. Undoubtedly, it is hurting at this moment. Yet Lightning seems to be ignoring it. Vanille shudders. And so she continues watching Lightning trains.

* * *

><p>Afternoon arrives, the scorching heat of the sun finally subsides. Vanille exhales in relief as she watches the now-peach-colored sky swarmed by flocks of birds going home to their nests. The afternoon breeze brings much-needed cool air to Vanille and Lightning.<p>

Lightning has been training for the whole day, except for during that incident when Vanille politely ushered her into the lake. Now she is tired, and finally decides to go back to the basecamp. She holsters her gunblade and walks back towards Vanille.

"Finally stopping?" Vanille asks, yawning. She passes Lightning her overcoat, which has dried by now. Lightning simply nods and wears her overcoat again before turning around to walk back to the basecamp.

"Hey, wait up!" Vanille hurries to her feet, stumbling a little as she follows Lightning.

"I'm jogging back," Lightning says.

Vanille's face looks like she has been hit by a Doom spell. "Again?" she groans.

She swears she had seen Lightning smiles a little at her complaint, but it disappears fast.

"Yeah, training's not over… I'm leaving just because I don't want to walk back to the basecamp in darkness. But later I'll continue at the basecamp," Lightning answers.

"Aww, man…"

"Try to keep up," Lightning says again before she takes off.

"Hey! Wait!" Vanille leaps and jogs as well, following Lightning.

* * *

><p>They have been jogging for a while. The return journey feels more tiring for both of them, maybe because they are exhausted from the day. Vanille especially, has begun letting her mind wander and imagining dinner tonight. Lightning has planned to catch something on their way back for dinner, but they've seen no other life form except themselves and the plants. Vanille begins thinking of other trivial stuff, about what she would do when they reach the basecamp. Lightning seems to be absentminded too, although for her it is understandable considering how hard she's trained today. She may be too tired to think of anything right now. So the two of them keep running without paying much attention on their surroundings. Another big mistake, it turns out to be.<p>

Vanille is thinking about some flowers and rainbows when suddenly she hears something cuts through the air and Lightning shouts.

"Look out, Vanille!"

Vanille looks up, right to see a Svarog swooping down at them, its sharp tail waving dangerously towards her. The attack is coming fast, and Vanille is too shocked to do anything. She freezes on the spot, closing her eyes, readying for impact. Something hits her, but not as hard as a sharp, thick tail of a Svarog should be, and definitely from a different direction than the one Vanille expected. She opens her eyes.

Lightning has pushed Vanille down, away from the Svarog's tail with a well-aimed tackle. One moment Vanille was freezing on the spot, almost getting hit by the tail; the next moment she finds herself pinned to the ground by Lightning. Vanille feels her face go warm when she realizes their awkward position, with Lightning on top of her and all. Luckily, Lightning doesn't seem to realize this. Her attention is occupied on the Svarog, who is now flying around, preparing its next attack. Before Vanille even gets the chance to say anything, Lightning has stood up and run towards the monster.

"Light! What are you doing?" Vanille shouts in panic as Lightning runs.

But she doesn't have to worry. A mighty explosion occurs as Lightning casts her Thundaga spell at the Svarog. Wait, was it Thundaga? It seems bigger than the normal Thundaga… But it's not Wrath of Heavens, Vanille is sure of it. Whatever it is, it has served its purpose. The Svarog shrieks in pain, before turning around and flies away.

Lightning returns to Vanille, shaking her head for some reason. She holds out her hand and Vanille grabs it. Lightning hauls Vanille back onto her feet.

"Thanks…" Vanille mumbles. Lightning seems to be thinking of something else, as she just mutters "No big deal," before continues jogging. Vanille hurried to keep up with her.

* * *

><p>They reach the basecamp just when the sun sets. They have caught a Gorgonopsid en route and are now eating it, saving some meats for their friends when they return later. After eating, they rest for a while before Lightning stands up again and resumes her training.<p>

Vanille groans. "Do you always train this hard every day?"

Lightning doesn't even bother to answer. She is concentrating on her training. She keeps a safe distance between herself and Vanille, before begins casting her Thundaga spells.

Vanille watches silently. There it is again, a Thundaga spell that is slightly bigger but not Wrath of Heavens…

Then she understands. Lightning hasn't perfectly mastered her Wrath of Heavens, that's why she has difficulty releasing it again. Vanille continues watching as Lightning looks more and more frustrated with each spell she cast.

"Dammit!" Suddenly Lightning shouts angrily, unleashing another spell. Vanille lets out a small cry of surprise when an even bigger Thundaga explodes before her eyes. But it's still not Wrath of Heavens. This one is too uncontrolled, too feisty. The Wrath of Heavens that she has seen is perfectly controlled and aimed. For this one, the sparks spread to every direction, and one even almost hit her. Luckily she could dodge it.

Lightning looks even more frustrated. Vanille can see the scowl on her face, the anger in her sapphire eyes. Then she releases another spell.

"Agh!"

"Lightning!" Vanille shouts out as she sees the big Thundaga spell has struck back at Lightning. One of its bolt hits her square on the torso.

Vanille runs to Lightning.

"Light, Lightning, are you okay?" she asks in panic.

To her relief, Lightning grunts and sits up. "I'm fine," she says.

"Come on, Light, you should rest… You've been training hard enough today…" Vanille suggests. But Lightning shakes her head.

"Vanille, I can't even master my own technique! How can I rest? The others are out there fighting, while I'm stuck here! And there is still that Barthandelus! I have to regain my strength fast!"

Vanille is taken aback by Lightning's outburst. But then her expression softens as she understands Lightning's plight.

"Light, don't think that way… You need time to rest and heal! Normal people would've died with that kind of wound, but you didn't… It's just normal for a wound that big to take time to heal completely. You shouldn't be too harsh on yourself."

"I know, but I can't just sit down and do nothing! Barthandelus is out there, Vanille! Who knows when he'll strike? We all have to be ready for battle anytime! And how can I do that if I don't train?" Lightning replies.

"No, Light! Stop thinking that way! For now, we haven't heard anything from Barthandelus. You should be using the time to rest! I know that wound is hurting, right? So don't complain, I call it a day. You must stop training."

Lightning's face darkens upon hearing this. Vanille feels a chill rises up her spine as she realizes she has just _ordered _Lightning.

But then Lightning's expression changes to despair. She knows that she is already nearing her limits. The wound feels like burning, her whole midsection hurts… But the worst thing is, Lightning knows that if she is in her usual state, she would still have enough energy to train some more. That knowledge makes her want to continue training, to force her body to regain its strength back.

"Vanille, I just need a little more time to train… Please let me," she says, looking straight into Vanille's emerald eyes.

Vanille stares at her in surprise. She was expecting Lightning to complain, even considering a possibility that she may get punched for having the temerity to give Lightning a direct order like that. But instead Lightning's face has looked so pained and full of despair for a second, yet enough for Vanille to notice it. Did Lightning actually _ask _her to continue training? Vanille always finds it hard to turn people down. Had Lightning complained, she wouldn't let her train anymore. But since she asked… Vanille couldn't say no. She nods reluctantly.

"Okay, but just for a while…"

Lightning stands up immediately, walks away, then resumes her training again.

* * *

><p>Lightning is terribly tired. Her body screams to be allowed to rest, but she doesn't want to give in yet. She knows the wound is the one sapping her energy, since it keeps throbbing every now and then.<p>

_I won't give in to you so fast._

Lightning tries to ignore it, and casts her Quake technique once again, sending rocks jutting out from within the ground. Lightning shoots forward, gunblade drawn, slashing at each rock before she can get hit by them.

Then pain explodes in her stomach.

_Not again!_

Lightning stumbles to the ground, falling on her side. She tries to stand up, but her exhaustion wins. Her legs buckle and she drops to the ground again. She can hear Vanille coming, shouting her name.

* * *

><p>"Light!" Vanille shouts as she skids to a halt beside Lightning.<p>

Lightning looks so drained. She just lies on the ground, unable to stand up. She shuts her eyes, panting. Vanille observes that she is clutching her wound.

"Does it hurt, Light? It does, doesn't it?" Vanille demands, gently moving Lightning so she lies on her back against a big tree. Lightning doesn't answer.

Vanille removes Lightning's hand gently from her stomach and unclasps her overcoat to examine the wound. It is pulsating, but she is sure that it will be okay. Lightning just strained it a little over the border, that's all. Vanille huffs in relief as she sees Lightning opens her eyes and tries to sit down. Vanille helps Lightning to lean against the tree while she just stares at her, too exhausted and pained to say anything.

"Don't worry, Light, you'll be fine! Do you need anything? Medicine?"

Lightning shakes her head. "Just… let me rest…" she says, closing her eyes.

Vanille knows Lightning is only exhausted, hence she doesn't force her to drink the medicine. She should be okay after resting for a while.

"Okay then, I'll start some fire, " Vanille says to Lightning. "Just wait here, okay?"

Vanille then stands up and walks away into the woods.

_Aww, man… I've been too lenient, _Vanille thinks as she gathers the firewood. _I can't let this happen again, or else Serah's gonna get all worked up._ But then she looks at the ground as she thinks of Lightning.

_Oh, Light… If only you're not so stubborn and foolhardy, _she thinks, huffing. Vanille understands Lightning's plight and frustration, but as a Medic, she prefers seeing Lightning resting than seeing her being able to fight again.

_I hope you'll get better soon, Light…_ with that, Vanille turns and walks back towards the basecamp.

* * *

><p>When she reaches the basecamp, the place is pitch-dark. The only light is the moonlight that penetrates through the trees, but it is hardly sufficient. Vanille walks carefully and slowly towards Lightning's silhouette, before finally putting the firewood down and casts a Fire spell on it. The wood quickly catches on fire, and the campfire sparks into life, dancing with the gentle breeze. It shines bright, warming and illuminating the area perfectly. Vanille smiles in satisfaction, before turning to Lightning.<p>

To her surprise, Lightning has fallen asleep. She is still leaning against the tree in the same position as when Vanille left her, her legs stretched in front of her casually and her arms resting on the ground at her sides. Lightning's head is bowing down, her eyes closed, her breathing deep and even. Her lips are slightly apart; her pink hair reflects the light from the fire. Vanille notices Lightning's gunblade resting carelessly on her thighs. She must have been too tired and fell asleep without holstering it, it seems.

Vanille smiles softly as she approaches the sleeping figure, carefully lifting the gunblade and changes it to its gun form. She puts it gently beside Lightning again, before looking up to see her face.

Up close, Vanille realizes that Lightning's usual serious expression has disappeared as she sleeps, making her face looks completely peaceful. Vanille finds herself smiling again as she watches Lightning. She giggles. She has never realized Lightning can look that peaceful and somehow-cute sleeping.

Suddenly Vanille feels so tired. That day has been tiring for her, too, and she really wants to lie down and sleep. So without thinking twice, Vanille just sits beside Lightning and rests her head on the tree bark behind her. She closes her eyes as well, glad for the warmth from both the fire and Lightning's body beside her. For some reason, she finds Lightning's presence to be calming. Lightning makes her feel safe, and this confuses her. She has never met anyone else that has that effect on her except Fang. Maybe it has something to do with Lightning's personality… or maybe it's just the fact that she can beat any monster to pulp if she wants it. Vanille smiles again, subconsciously snuggling closer to Lightning as sleep begins to claim her.

* * *

><p>I return to the basecamp at night, feeling awfully tired. We have only killed five more Behemoths today, and I feel so tired plus frustrated with our slow rate. There are still so many Behemoths for us to clean… Yet it looks like Vanille's prediction is correct. The Behemoths have scattered all over the place, making it hard for us to find them. We are lucky to have Fang with us, since she is good in hunting. But even with her hunting skills, we are still moving at a slow rate. It seems like there are no more Behemoths around here. If this continues, we may even have to make a specialized journey to hunt them. Now that prospect just makes me feel even more tired.<p>

However, I forget all of my frustration and doubts as I realize I can see Lightning soon. I hope she is doing okay with Vanille… to be honest, I'm not so worried today since I am sure that Vanille can take good care of Light. She had said to us this morning before we left the basecamp that she'd be strict on Light. I know Vanille is not always smiles and sunshine, she can actually be quite fierce and scary when needed.

I suddenly find myself chuckling when I realize just how different Lightning and Vanille are. Vanille likes to converse, while Lightning, on the other hand, prefers solitude… Putting them together for a whole day like this is bound to cause some interesting occasions. I can imagine perfectly Lightning getting bombarded with Vanille's flow of words this whole day. She's never been good with conversation, so I'm sure she wouldn't even know what to say to Vanille. Most probably she'd just ignore Vanille or answer her curtly. I imagine Lightning's confused and nervous face, at a loss of words in front of Vanille's cheerful nature, not knowing what to say… which makes me giggle again. How I wish to be able to see them!

With these thoughts in mind, I begin walking faster towards the basecamp. Fang chuckles as she follows me.

"Can't wait to see how those two get along, right?" she winks at me. I grin back at her, nodding. I bet Fang is also curious to find how the always-so-serious Lightning gets along with her cheerful, carefree Vanille. And so we walk faster towards the basecamp, eager to see our loved ones again.

* * *

><p>As we get nearer to the basecamp, my spirit goes up as I see fire lit up there. I run forward, following Fang.<p>

And I am greeted with an unexpected sight that I will never forget.

Vanille and Lightning are asleep against a tree. Vanille's head is resting against Lightning's shoulder, and somehow her hands have found their way around Lightning's waist, hugging Lightning in a tight hug as she sleeps. Lightning meanwhile, is fast asleep and doesn't seem to realize anything. She must be extremely tired from her training to be able to stay asleep with Vanille hugging her so tightly like that. I find myself giggling while Fang grins triumphantly.

"Oh, my…" I turn around to see Sazh and Snow arriving. Sazh stares wide-eyed at Lightning and Vanille, while Snow is stunned, before laughing out loud. Hope is also staring with his jaw dropping. I laugh.

"Wow. It's like seeing a wolf sleeping with a lamb, isn't it?" Sazh comments. Fang laughs.

"I don't think there's a need to wake them up, is there?" she asks. All of us shake our head.

And so we just let the two of them sleep, wondering how this scenario could happen. But I find myself happy seeing Lightning like that. She's always been lonely, and seeing Vanille cuddling to her just makes me feel happy that Lightning has found another good friend.

* * *

><p>Vanille wakes up at dawn to encounter the shock of her life. She wakes up to find her head resting on Lightning's shoulder. Not only that, but somehow her hands have wandered and clung to Lightning's waist. Vanille can feel her face goes red and warm as she hurriedly removes her arms from around Lightning. Lightning is still asleep, luckily. She must have been too exhausted and drained to be aware of the things that have happened around her that night.<p>

Vanille moves away from Lightning silently, hoping with all her heart that Lightning won't wake up. Because if she does… then Vanille will definitely have a hard time trying to explain how she had gotten so close to Light during the night. Vanille herself isn't even sure about how she did that. Maybe it was because Lightning is so similar to Fang… cold yet kind, and emits a feeling of safety to those she cares about. _Yep, that's got to be it… I must have subconsciously regarded her as Fang, that's why at night I unconsciously snuggled to her_, Vanille thinks.

A sudden 'hey' almost makes Vanille scream. Luckily, she manages to slam her fist into her mouth to stop her scream. She turns around to see Fang, already awake, grinning at her. An uneasy feeling creeps into Vanille.

"You shocked me, Fang!" she says.

"Not as much as _you _shocked me," Fang replies, her grin widens. "How does it feel snuggling to Light the whole night?"

Vanille can feel her face immediately goes red. "I… I didn't mean it! Really, Fang! I was just so tired yesterday and so I lay down beside her to sleep then I think I just moved around during the night and maybe my hands have twitched or convulsed and…"

"Okay, kiddo, take a breath. Your face is getting blue there," Fang cuts her.

Still grinning, Fang asks again. "Anyway, how did Light even let you to lie down beside her like that?"

"Erm, she was kinda drained yesterday… I left her for a while to collect firewood, and when I returned she was already asleep… I was tired too, you see, so I went to sleep as well," Vanille says, her tone defensive.

"Ooooh, sure, and of all the places you chose to be beside her?" Fang starts again.

"But it was so cold yesterday, and the fire was near her! I just wanted to be near the fire, that's all…" Vanille says, starting to feel panic.

"Heh, heh, good at taking advantage, aren't you, Vanille?" Fang smirks.

"Please, Fang, can you please… don't tell her? She may get angry," Vanille says, beginning to think about what Lightning will do if she finds out that she has been treated as a cuddle bag for the whole night.

Fang laughs. "I don't mind, 'Nille, but tell the others too. You two have created quite some scenery yesterday that I'm sure it'll be etched in everyone's memory from now on."

Now Vanille officially blushes.

"Was Serah angry, Fang?" she asks.

"Nope, don't worry. She was as amused as everyone else upon seeing you two sleeping side by side yesterday. I don't even know you two can look that cute and innocent sleeping," Fang says as she throws her head back and laughs.

* * *

><p>Fang's laughter has woken up the rest of the group, including me. I look at her and Vanille groggily as I try to banish sleepiness from my eyes. Then I remember yesterday's scene and grin at Vanille. Snow, Sazh and Hope are awake by now, too, laughing and smirking at Vanille.<p>

"Enjoyed your night, Vanille?"

"How did it feel to sleep clinging to Lightning, hmm? You've got some courage there! And luck, too," Sazh says, before laughing upon seeing Vanille's embarrassed face.

"Please, guys, can you all don't tell Lightning about this?" Vanille begins to ask.

The whole group laughs, but promises not to tell Lightning about it. Vanille is lucky to have told the group this soon, as Lightning begins to wake up. Her hands twitch, before her eyes open and she lifts up her head.

"Morning, Light!" I say cheerfully to her. Too cheerful.

"Why are you looking so happy?" Lightning asks, hitting right at the bull's eye.

"Oh, nothing, sis, I'm just happy to hear from Vanille that you are doing well!" I quickly make up a reason. I can see Vanille hurriedly nodding to back up my lie.

Lightning scoffs, before grabbing her gunblade and holsters it as she stands up.

"Hmm. Don't remember putting it there last night…" she mumbles to herself.

I can see Vanille tenses a little upon hearing this and I find myself suppressing a laughter as I realize that Vanille must have been the one replacing Lightning's gunblade. Luckily, Lightning doesn't mention the matter anymore, dismissing it as a trivial subject.

"How was your night, Light?" Fang suddenly asks, grinning broadly.

Lightning stares at her suspiciously before finally answering, "Fine."

Fang snorts. "Is that the only adjective you know, Light? Come on, I'm sure you can do better than that!"

"Okay, fine, it was warm," Lightning answers, scowling at Fang. "What does it matter to you, anyway, Fang?"

"Oh, nothing. Just curious, because I think last night was quite... _cold_," Fang says, her grin turning into a smug one as she throws us a wink.

"Hmm, strange. It was warm last night… Maybe because I was quite close to the fire," Lightning says. She turns to Vanille. "Anyway, thanks for lighting the fire yesterday, Vanille. I'm sorry I didn't help you."

"No, don't be, Light! You'd been working so hard yesterday, I was only doing what I can…" Vanille replies, still looking nervous. Luckily, Light doesn't seem to realize this as she just shrugs and walks away.

"So, what today? Are you guys going for the Behemoth cleaning again?" Lightning asks.

"Well, yeah, after we eat something," Fang replies. "As for you two, just train and enjoy the day, okay?" she adds, winking at Vanille.

Lightning frowns, not understanding what Fang just said. Meanwhile, the rest of the group including me are trying our best not to burst out into laughter upon seeing Fang teasing Vanille while still keeping Lightning unaware of the scenario last night. To hide our laughter, we begin preparing breakfast.

We eat in silence, before finally finishing the last bite and stand up to start our day. All of us wish Lightning and Vanille a joyful and pleasant day before taking off, much to Lightning's confusion and Vanille's helpless embarrassment. Once we are out from Lightning's hearing, all of us burst into laughter, holding our sides or banging the nearby tree as the laughter begins to bring about tears.

"Did you guys see her face when I began asking Light about the night?" Fang asks in between her laughter. "Priceless!"

All of us laugh again.

"It was brilliant of you, Fang! Teasing Vanille like that while still keeping Light unaware," Snow says, high-fiving Fang. They seem to have forgotten their dispute over their fighting incidents yesterday.

"Yes, it was so epic! Vanille really went red and panic back there," Sazh adds, still chuckling as his chocobo chick flies around him, chirping noisily.

"I bet Vanille will be all nervous around Lightning today. And Lightning will be confused and maybe a little suspicious or even annoyed!" Fang grins broadly. I laugh. Again, how I wish I can see how Lightning and Vanille get along today! But unfortunately, we have our own responsibility. So, despite still chuckling, we make our way to start our Behemoths cleaning of today.


	21. Chapter 21

Back at the basecamp, Lightning and Vanille are preparing to go to Atzilut's Tear again. However, Lightning has noticed that Vanille is being particularly quiet, and she seems to be avoiding her gaze. Is something wrong?

"Hey, Vanille, are you okay?" Lightning asks, frowning, when Vanille once again avoids her gaze and makes herself busy with her bracelets. She immediately turns around to Lightning, a bit too fast, as though she wants to answer the question ASAP.

"Oh, I'm fine, Light! Never been better!" she says with a wide smile on her face. But Lightning observes that her eyes look… panic?

"Are you sure? If you're tired, I can always just train here…"

"No, no, no, I'm perfectly fine! I just can't wait to go to Atzilut's Tear again! So can we go now?" she asks, grinning even wider before turning around and walks quickly away.

"Umm, Vanille…? Atzilut's Tear's this way, not there…"

Vanille immediately turns 180-degrees without stopping with a speed that could've even shamed those soldiers specially trained in marching.

_Her hips really are nimble, _Lightning noted. She is not surprised, anyway, since Vanille always has such terrific agility and grace in swinging her hips, even when she walks. Before meeting Vanille, Lightning's never imagined that any mortal can actually do that.

"I know that! I'm just kidding!" Vanille chirps as she begins to jog towards Atzilut's Tear, in the right direction this time. She may look like she is just excited to other people, but for Lightning she looks like she is… agitated?

Not being able to understand the reason for Vanille's strange behavior, Lightning just shakes her head and jogs to catch up with Vanille.

Finally Lightning and Vanille reaches Atzilut's Tear. Lightning's confusion has increased even more, since throughout the whole journey Vanille kept running behind her instead of occasionally running beside her like she did yesterday. Even stranger, whenever Lightning turned her head to check on Vanille, she kept averting her gaze and out of a sudden seemed to be so interested in the mountains at the distance. Seriously, what's wrong with her? Lightning frowns. _Did I do anything wrong to her yesterday?_

Lightning tries to recall what she did yesterday, but she doesn't think she did anything wrong. _Maybe I should just ask her directly,_ Lightning decides as she watches Vanille walking beside the lake, humming, and seems to be intentionally staring at the water.

"Hey Vanille, about yesterday… did you—"

"No, of course I didn't!" Vanille immediately answers, looking up at Lightning with a very innocent expression on her face that only makes Lightning doubt her actual innocence.

"You didn't what?" Lightning asks, frowning. _Strange. I haven't even said anything._

Vanille suddenly realizes that somehow she has entered deep waters. She thinks hard, as fast as she can, trying to come up with an answer that won't reveal yesterday's scenario.

"…Erm, do what you were about to say!"

"And how do you know what I was about to say?"

"I… guessed?"

"Okay, so what did you guess I was about to say?" Lightning asks, beginning to feel annoyed.

_Oh, shoot…_

"…I guessed that you were about to say what I think you were about to say!" Vanille manages to come up with that evasive answer, putting on a nervous smile.

Lightning's eyebrow rises, clearly not expecting Vanille's answer to be like that. "Can you explain that?" she demands.

Vanille feels a faint hope of escaping from this growing danger begins to rise in her heart.

"You see, Light, I was guessing that you were about to say something, so that's why just now I said 'I guessed you were about to say what I think you were about to say,' meaning I actually think you were thinking the same thing as I did and wanted to ask me about it, so since I already guessed that we were thinking of the same thing, I answered according to what I think you and I were thinking, which is actually just a guess and may have been a wrong guess. So maybe we were not even thinking of the same thing that I thought we were thinking!"

Vanille smiles sweetly at Lightning, taking care so her face looks confident and innocent.

"O…kay…" Lightning frowns as she tries to figure out which is the 'guess' and which is the 'thoughts' in Vanille's explanation. The more she thinks about it, the more she doesn't get it. But Vanille looks so confident, as if she has said something easily comprehensible, so Lightning just mutters "Never mind…" and turns around while drawing her gunblade. Behind her, Vanille huffs, feeling entirely like a prey that has escaped a predator's gnashing teeth by a few centimeters.

_I don't even dare to think what Light would do if she finds out about last night… _Vanille thinks, shuddering.

_But last night really was warm… _

Vanille tries to recall last night's memories, although she finds her memory a bit blurred since that time she was indeed very sleepy and tired. With some difficulty, Vanille can recall herself lying down comfortably, filled with warmth… which undoubtedly comes from Lightning… whom she has hugged for the whole night. For. The. Whole. Night. Lightning.

Vanille blushes as she manages to recall more memories of the night. _I think I remember… winding my hands around something slim and warm… which must have been Lightning's waist, for Makers' sake! I must have been so used to snuggling to Fang, and Light is just so similar to her that I couldn't stop myself from moving subconsciously…_

"Vanille."

_It wasn't my fault! I was so sleepy and tired yesterday! Of course I subconsciously searched for warmth and comfort…that's why I… tried to rest my head on something… '_And that something is Lightning's shoulder,' her inner mind says. _I know! But I couldn't help it… Lightning always makes me feel safe, that's why I… '_Hug her?' her inner mind says again.

"Vanille?"

_And Lightning is warm… I didn't feel cold at all last night, despite Fang said it was cold… Moreover, she is a quiet sleeper, she doesn't move around too much, so I could sleep well last night…_ Vanille shakes her head when she finds herself recalling this, plus the memory of the feeling of Lightning's hair brushing against her cheek as she rested her head on Light's shoulder.

"_Vanille."_

Vanille feels her face becomes even warmer as she suddenly remembers that some time last night, Lightning's head had lolled against _her _head. She remembers waking up a little at the sudden contact, but the weight was quite comfortable and she remembers feeling happy for the extra warmth it brought… She remembers feeling Lightning's even and deep breathing under her hands, which calmed her even more and enabled her to fall asleep again quickly... And she remembers waking up a little again some time at dawn, to see Lightning's pink hair directly in front of her face, shielding her eyes from the sunlight. She even remembers feeling a little disappointed when Lightning's head left hers and leaned back against the tree bark. The fact that all these feelings have appeared when she was semi-conscious only makes matters even more embarrassing, since it proves that those feelings were genuine. _What on Gran Pulse have I been thinking? I always find Lightning's presence to be calming, but to think that I actually hugged her… when she was asleep—_

"Oerba Dia Vanille!"

Vanille jumps in surprise as Lightning shouts out her name.

"Huh…huh…? What is it, Light?" Vanille asks groggily.

"Are you sure you're okay? I've been calling you for a while, but all you did was standing there with your eyes closed, frowning as though you were thinking of something serious… shaking your head now and then… and did you just _blush_?" Lightning frowns, clearly looking suspicious.

"No, no, no! Of course I didn't! It must have been the sunlight and shadows… I was only thinking of a…riddle, yes, a riddle that Fang gave me yesterday, that's why I was concentrating so hard on it and didn't hear you, Light, sorry!" Vanille quickly makes out a lie. However, she feels her stomach lurches as interest sparks in Lightning's eyes.

"Really? What riddle?"

_Oh, shoot. _Vanille has forgotten that Lightning is terrifyingly smart; she surely has at least some interest in mind-testing stuff like riddles… Serah has confirmed that her sister is very bright at school when they were young, and the fact that she has easily become a sergeant in a mere few years only more strongly proves so. It's not only because of Lightning's terrific speed, strength and flexibility, but it must also because she is intelligent and able to make tactics and strategies to lead her squad during missions, outsmarting her enemies each time. Moreover, it seems like that Lightning has never failed a single mission before. Gulping, Vanille sure as hell doesn't want to play riddles with someone as intelligent as that… After all, she doesn't know any riddle convincing enough to actually throw at Lightning. Deciding to improvise, she throws out yet another evasive answer.

"Oh, but I don't think you'd be interested in it, Light… It's about… Oerba's culture and some local plants!" Vanille manages to say.

"Humph, too bad," Lightning scoffs.

"Anyway!" Vanille says, hurrying to change the subject. "What did you call me for?"

Lightning shrugs. "I was just wondering if you can help me train… I need to train my magic, too, and for that I need a partner."

"Oooh, no problem, Light!" Vanille smiles, beginning to feel interested. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"Just cast your elemental spells randomly… I'll try to counter them with my own spells."

Vanille's eyes widen. She realizes that this training is a hard one and will certainly need high level of concentration, since Lightning will have to identify what spell is being unleashed and release an exactly opposite spell to counter that. For example, if Vanille releases a Fire spell, then Lightning will have to release a Water spell to counter it. However, in the case of Thunder spell, Lightning has to release Thunder spell as well in order to nullify the attack. Undoubtedly, it will be an interesting training.

"All right, then… Are we starting now?" Vanille asks, beginning to collect her magic on her hands.

"Yeah."

With that simple word, Lightning walks away a few meters before applying Enthunder on her gunblade. Vanille smiles. _Nice thinking… _

With that, Vanille sends three consecutive spells, Fire, Thunder and Blizzard.

Lightning reacts almost immediately. She sends Blizzard and Fire spell, each directly hits the opposite spells that Vanille unleashed, nullifying the attacks even before they travel half the distance between Vanille and Lightning. As for the Thunder attack, Lightning lets it get nearer to her before slashing her Enthunder-ed gunblade at it. Vanille smirks, sending three more spells, faster this time. Lightning deals with them easily. _She is a formidable fighter… both in physical attacks and magic. Her reflexes and instinct are terrific, _Vanille thinks.

Smiling, she sends even more spells at Lightning, notices that Lightning is smirking at the challenge too.

Lightning's training goes well, except for the few times that she misidentifies some spells cast by Vanille; but none brought about any serious damage. However, now Vanille has increased the speed of her spell-casting. She casts her spells relentlessly, without stopping, bombarding Lightning with them. Water, Fire, Aero, Blizzard, Thunder… all shot out randomly, forcing Lightning to keep moving and concentrating. Sometimes, she doesn't even have enough time to cast her own spells to counter Vanille's, and has to dodge them.

"Here I come, Light!" Vanille shouts as she sends yet another chain of spells at Lightning.

Lightning grips her gunblade tighter, readying her magic. She focuses her eyes on Vanille's hands.

_Fire, _Lightning thinks as she sees Vanille moves her hand and a red light shoots out. Without further ado, Lightning casts her Water spell, but doesn't stop to watch it nullify Vanille's Fire. She knows the next spells are coming.

_Water, Fire, Fire, Blizzard…_

Lightning clenches her teeth when she realizes that she has misidentified the last spell to be a Blizzard spell while it's actually Water, and has sent a Fire spell. Of course her Fire spell is quickly extinguished by the Water. Under normal circumstances, Lightning could've used her Enthunder-ed gunblade to counter the Water, but at the same time Vanille also unleashed a Thunder spell which required Lightning's use of her gunblade. As the result, Lightning didn't have enough time to cast her own Thunder spell at the Water and it splashes full-force onto her, making her stumble and became vulnerable to Vanillle's incoming Aero spell. The Aero spell hits Lightning hard, throwing her aback towards a big rock. Without having any time to think twice, Lightning lets her well-trained reflexes to kick in and she manages to execute a backflip to avoid getting crashed onto the rock.

"This is getting old, Vanille!" Lightning shouts as she leaps back to her feet, flicking her wet bangs off her eyes. "Why do I always have to get soaked whenever I train with y—ugh!"

Lightning rolls aside as Vanille's merciless Fire spell almost hit her. This is followed a barrage of Thunder spells. Lightning quickly stands up, annoyed as she watches the Thunder spells approaching her. Without further ado, she casts a Thundaga spell to counter all those Thunder spells. However, Lightning's Thundaga is too powerful that it sends some shock wave towards Vanille, who yelps as she gets hit and stumbles backward. Seeing a chance, Lightning smirks as she sends a Water spell which crashes directly onto Vanille.

"Hey!" Vanille protests as she regains her balance and stands there, all soaked in water.

"Now we're even," Lightning says, folding her arms and raises her eyebrow at Vanille. Vanille sees Lightning smiling faintly, and she laughs too. But then she realizes something.

"Hey, Lightning… are you okay…?" Vanille asks hesitantly.

"Huh? Of course I'm okay, what are you… oh."

Lightning touches her stomach, bewildered. When dodging Vanille's Aero spell, she has flipped backwards… Isn't that kind of flip supposed to cause her wound to start hurting? Yet nothing happened. Her wound didn't hurt. At all.

A hesitant smile starts to spread slowly across Lightning's face as she realizes this. She looks up, holstering her gunblade, then executes a somersault. Lightning was expecting the wound to start hurting like hell when she lands back on her feet, but when all she gets is some minor throbbing, she smirks.

"Yaaaay! Lightning, you're okay!"

Before Lightning can react, Vanille has shouted out happily as she runs forwards and gives Lightning a big hug, before grabbing her shoulders and shakes her back and fro.

"Alright, alright, Vanille, I'm feeling dizzy!" Lightning says as she grabs Vanille's arms and stops her. Still beaming, Vanille lets Lightning go, who smiles softly as well.

"Did it hurt, Light?" Vanille asks.

"A little," Lightning answers, shrugging.

"Aww, don't worry! I'm sure it'll heal completely soon enough!"

"I hope so."

"So, now… it's already afternoon… do you want to go back?" Vanille suggests, tilting her head.

"Alright."

As soon as Lightning agrees, Vanille casts an Aero spell that pushes Lightning down into the lake.

"What the…!" Lightning's shout turns to a gurgle as her body breaks through the water's surface.

"Race you to the basecamp!" Vanille shouts as she runs away as fast as she can, while Lightning is still thrashing in the water.

"Vanille!" Lightning shouts as she swims towards the bank, before quickly standing up and chases Vanille.

"You're not getting away that easily, Vanille!" Lightning shouts again at Vanille's form that is getting further as she runs towards the basecamp. Inhaling a deep breath, Lightning runs faster, reducing the distance between her and Vanille. Vanille turns her head and cries out in surprise as she sees Lightning running towards her in a speed that lives up to her name.

"Get ready!" Lightning shouts as she reaches her hand out, preparing to catch Vanille.

"No waaaaay!" Vanille answers, sticking her tongue out playfully at Lightning. With that, she casts a Protect spell around her that makes Lightning stumbles, buying her some time to increase the distance between them.

"You're playing dirty, Vanille!" Vanille hears Lightning's annoyed shout from behind her.

"I don't care!" Vanille replies, turning her head around.

"GOT YOU!"

Vanille lets out a scream, almost getting a heart attack as she faces a smirking Lightning who has somehow closed the distance between them again. Lightning reaches her hand out, this time catching the back of Vanille's neck. Vanille thrashes around wildly, but she knows her effort is futile in Lightning's death grip.

"Alright, what punishment shall I give you, little rascal?"

Vanille pales and stops thrashing as she hears Lightning's simple question. She knows Lightning will never hurt her, but there are still many quite-unpleasant forms of punishments that Lightning can come up with. Throwing aside all sense of dignity, Vanille starts to beg for forgiveness.

"No, no, no, I'm so sorry, Light, I didn't mean to—"

"A bit late to apologize now, don't you think?"

"But I only wanted to—"

"Odin!"

Vanille shouts in surprise as Odin explodes into existence beside her, already in his horse form. Before she can do anything else, Lightning has thrown her onto Odin's back. "Run as fast as you can, bring her to the basecamp," Lightning instructs Odin.

"Wait! Lightning, you're not serious, right?" Vanille asks, feeling an increasing panic in her heart.

Before Lightning can answer anything, Odin neighs, standing on his hind legs. On his back, Vanille hurries to get a hold before falling off. "Light! Light, Light, Light, Lightning, I'm sor— aaaaaah!"

Vanille's words change into a scream as Odin gallops away, in a speed that she believes to be lightning-speed. "Noooooo! Fang! Help me!" Vanille continues screaming as the world around her blurs and she finds herself gasping to breathe. An unpleasant image of herself falling headfirst or crashing onto tree branches appears, and she quickly bends down on Odin's back. She begins to feel dizzy, so she shuts her eyes closed and prays with all her heart that the basecamp is not too far.

After a crazy ride that seems to be for hours, Vanille finally reaches the basecamp. Odin immediately disappears, causing her to fall down directly to the ground.

"Ouch!" Shaking her head, Vanille sits down on the ground for a while without opening her eyes, wanting to make sure that she has indeed reached the safety of flat ground. After she feels sure, Vanille opens her eyes and almost scream again as she is immediately greeted with a sight of Lightning who is standing silently right before her, her arms crossed. Her height, coupled with the fact that Vanille is sitting on the ground, really makes her loom above Vanille. Vanille feels really, really small and helpless as she looks back guiltily into Lightning's sapphire eyes. _This must be how an Imp feels in front of a Megistethorian, _she thinks.

"Umm… How can you get here faster than Odin?" Vanille asks softly when the silence continues and Lightning doesn't show any sign of wanting to break it. Vanille shakes her head again, trying to get rid of the lingering dizziness.

To Vanille's relief, Lightning smirks, holding her hand out to help Vanille stand. "I told him to run around for a while before dropping you, of course," she says as she hauls Vanille onto her feet.

"Hey, that's mean!" Vanille protests as she pouts at Lightning.

Lightning just shrugs, giving her a lazy half-smile. "Consider it your punishment for playing dirty," she says.

"But I couldn't even have any chance of winning you in a race if I don't cheat!" Vanille replies.

"Well, then, don't start a race," Lightning answers back easily.

Now that she has stood firmly on solid ground and faces no more danger of crashing or falling, Vanille has gotten back her courage to laugh. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" she says. Lightning scoffs, but doesn't seem to be annoyed anymore. "Well, shall we go hunting for dinner?" she asks.

Immediately Vanille leaps and starts running, but Lightning caught her by the neck again. Vanille squeals and tries to wriggle away, but it only results in Lightning tightening her grip. "No more pointless races, or else I'll be forced to get a leash for you, young lady," she threatens.

"Light! That's cruel!" Vanille gasps, but when Lightning doesn't say anything, she just sighs and mumble "Fine," pouting a little. Lightning releases her, and the two of them go together to hunt their dinner, Vanille sulking throughout the whole journey.

* * *

><p>When we return to the basecamp that night, we are immediately greeted by Vanille. The moment she sees us coming, she runs to Fang as fast as she can.<p>

"Faaaaang! Lightning bullied me!" Vanille whines as she hugs Fang tightly, much to Fang's surprise.

"Lightning bullied—wait, _what_?" Fang asks, frowning in puzzlement and surprise.

"She seized me by my neck on our way back here and she forced me onto Odin, who gallops like crazy with me hanging half-dead on his back!" Vanille says again, grabbing Fang's shoulders and shakes her. Fang can only blinks in surprise at the unexpected barrage of squeals.

I'm surprised, too, and turn around to see the said 'bully' walking towards us.

Lightning looks bemused as she watches Vanille whining into Fang's shoulder.

"Hey, Light, seriously, what happened?" Fang asks as she pats Vanille's head comfortingly.

"Wait, sis, did you really… _bully_ Vanille?" I ask, puzzled.

Lightning groans. "You can call it that way… If I don't have a good reason to do it. And don't get fooled by this little rascal, she's just trying to get your sympathy! Look, she's not even shedding a tear," Lightning says sharply.

Fang stares at Lightning for a few seconds before laughing out loud. "Y'see, Vanille! I told you, don't mess with Light! Your cuteness doesn't work on her!"

Vanille immediately stops pretending to cry and laughs as well. "Makers, Light, you're as cold as ice! You hurt my heart, y'know!" she says, only getting an annoyed grumble in return.

"Hey, so what's the good reason that you had to… erm, 'bully' Vanille, Light?" Hope asks, looking interested.

"She kept playing tricks on me, so I gave her punishment."

"But I was just trying to make you laugh, Light!" Vanille protests.

"Really. So you think I'd laugh if you try to burn me when I was off-guard, push me down into the lake for the second time in two days, challenge me into a pointless race and push me yet again with a Protect spell when I'm about to catch you?" Lightning asks, rising her eyebrow. Her answer has caused Fang to burst into laughter again, and I soon find myself and the rest of the group to be laughing too, as we begin to get the scenario in our heads.

"Ehehe…" Vanille chuckles guiltily, tugging Fang's arm. "Fang! Help me, won't you? When I was abducted by Odin I kept screaming for you, y'know!" Vanille says, pouting.

"And I've told you that your beloved Fang won't always be there to hold your hand and get you out from every consequence your mischiefs bring about!" Lightning snarls.

"What she says, kiddo," Sazh chuckles, patting Vanille's back.

"Still! Lightning, you meanie! How could you bully this helpless little girl while you know you are stronger than me? Don't you have a heart?" Vanille asks, throwing Light her puppy-dog eyes. Luckily, Lightning reacts fast enough to avert her gaze before meeting Vanille's eyes.

"Well, that 'helpless little girl' didn't seem to let that fact stops her from pulling a bunch of mischiefs," Lightning answers back without looking into Vanille's puppy-dog eyes that can make even the coldest of heart melts if being overexposed.

Fang ruffles Vanille's hair affectionately. "Looks like she is not faltered by even your cutest puppy eyes, 'Nille. But don't worry, next time she bullies you, I'll…"

Vanille beams, looking at Fang expectantly.

"…help her bully you!" With that, Fang moves away to dodge Vanille's punch, laughing.

"Anyway, guys, I'm hungry! Light, you got anything to eat?" Fang asks, completely ignoring Vanille who is now pounding at her arm and shoulder. "Well, we caught something earlier…" Lightning answers, but before she can finish her sentence, Fang already cuts her. "Alright! I'm starving! Let's eat!"

I giggle as I follow Fang towards the campfire and sits beside Lightning. After we finish eating, we listen to Vanille telling us the complete story of her day with Lightning. When she finishes, we are all left laughing our insides out.

"Oh! And here comes the good news!" Vanille suddenly says. We all look at her, curious at seeing her wide grin.

"Lightning is getting better! She can do her flips again now!" Vanille continues.

"Really, sis?" I ask, feeling hope to rise in my heart. Lightning simply nods. Immediately I laugh, hugging her as I cheer. I feel so relieved! Finally, finally that gruesome wound is showing some sign of healing… Behind me, I can hear Fang's laughter as well. "Good for you, Light!" she says. "Bet you've been missing jumping around in the air, right?"

Lightning just shrugs, but I can see a smile playing at the tips of her lips. "So how's your day?" she asks us.

"Nothing much, just running and running and running and running… and tracking… and running… and running… and fighting… then running again," Sazh says, exaggerating the fact that we didn't get to deal with as many Behemoths as we expected today. It was true, we spent most of the time trying to track them down and running around searching for them. Lightning looks amused upon hearing this, and Vanille immediately says happily, "Looks like our day is better, and a lot more fun!"

"Yeah, but tonight won't be as 'fun' as last night, don't you think, Vanille?" Fang asks, smirking mischievously. Vanille immediately falls silent and gives Fang a panic look as Lightning frowns, not understanding. This just makes us laugh some more, before Hope finally suggests that we go to sleep. As we move to our usual spots of sleeping, I hear Sazh whispering to Vanille, "Bet you pulled those mischiefs on Light so she'd be distracted and couldn't recall anything 'bout last night, eh?"

I give him my thumbs up to show my silent agreement as I follow Lightning walking past them, towards the tree where we usually sleep under. Sazh winks back, and Fang smirks at me as well. Hope and Snow are snickering a few distance away. Then everyone falls quiet as exhaustion begins to claim us, and everyone lies down on their usual spots. I lie down besides Lightning, looking at the sky. The stars are shining, but there's no moon tonight. However, I find myself giggling as I listen to Vanille's whispering protest to Fang about her continuous teasing. I turn around to see Lightning staring at me, her blue eyes glimmering faintly as they reflect the light from the campfire. She whispers, "What's with them?" gesturing at Fang and Vanille.

I just giggle and answer, "Oh, I don't know, sis… Probably something only they know?"

Lightning just scoffs, mutters a "Who cares," and turns around. I snicker as I see Fang grinning at me, before turning and start to doze off, my back against Lightning's. Today has been tiring… in fact, Fang has said that if tomorrow we don't get any better progress, we're gonna make a specialized journey to hunt the remaining Behemoths. But for now, I don't want to worry about it yet… I'm too happy and relieved upon hearing that Lightning is getting better, and I chuckle as I remember Vanille's story about Lightning 'bullying' her.


	22. Chapter 22

In the next few days, we just follow our usual routine. Lightning and Vanille train together, while the rest of us keep hunting Behemoths. However, our progress is terribly slow, and today we cannot even find a single Behemoth.

"Damn all those overzealous creatures and their fat legs!" Fang finally snaps as she jabs her lance into an unfortunate tree, leaving a huge hole on its bark. Hope, who was walking beside Fang until a few seconds ago is now freezing on his spot, his face getting a bit pale as he stares at the hole on the tree which is now covered in flowing sap that looks much like blood. Has he stood a little more forward, he would've been the one getting impaled.

"Chill, Fang," Snow says, patting Fang's shoulder.

"Don't you 'chill' me!" Fang growls back, her glare sending Snow scurrying backwards. A wise move, considering Fang has started moving her lance around in a manner that all but screams that she wants to stab something.

"Whoa, careful there," Snow says, raising his hands in front of him as if it can protect him from Fang's lance. "Maybe Vanille was right? We cannot find anymore Behemoths around here because they have moved further down the Steppe…" he adds.

"How smart of you! So, now what do you suggest we do?" Fang asks, her voice dangerously polite and calm. If I were Snow, I would've shut my mouth up. But he _is_ Snow, and he is either unable to interpret people's expressions and gestures, or maybe he is just being what Lightning always calls him to be: a big-talking idiot.

"I think we should make a specialized journey further down the Steppe to hunt them!" Snow says, enthusiastically punching his fists together.

"First, that's not what _you _think, you're just repeating Vanille's suggestion; and second, don't you know what that kind of journey would mean?" Fang replies.

"Umm, we get to see more Behemoths?"

Fang sighs in annoyance, before turning around and ignores Snow completely. The rest of us know better than to ask her more. So we just follow Fang, wishing that Vanille is here with us to calm Fang down. As Sazh passes Snow, he whispers to him, "You're lucky not to have an air hole in your guts right now."

I roll my eyes at them as I walk past, still wondering on why Fang has reacted so negatively at the idea of making a specialized journey. _That kind of journey will only take no more than a few days, right? So why does Fang look so agitated about it?_

Shrugging, I just walk behind Fang, careful to ensure that I remain out of range of her lance.

* * *

><p>We reach the basecamp to see Lightning and Vanille having dinner. I smile happily as I see them, especially when I see their dinner.<p>

"Orobons, huh? Nice," Fang says as she approaches.

Vanille stands up and hugs her with a squeal. "Welcome back, Fang!"

Fang laughs, patting Vanille's back. "Miss ya too, 'Nille," she says. "So how did you guys get all this Orobons?" Fang asks, turning her gaze at the Orobons.

"Met them roaming aimlessly at Atzilut's Tear and decided to end their misery," Lightning answers curtly. Laughing, Fang sits down beside Light, Vanille following her closely. "Only two Orobons?" Snow asks, sounding disappointed.

"Well, there supposed to be three, but this girl here…" Lightning says, sending Vanille a sharp glare, "…got too excited during the fight and cast Poison on one Orobon. As luck would have it, her Poison is terribly strong that we cannot even eat that one."

"Vanille, I'm so proud of you!" Fang laughs as she ruffles Vanille's hair. "You've become a formidable Saboteur."

"I learnt from the best!" Vanille giggles, drawing a wide grin from Fang.

And so we all settle down to eat, and for a while I forget everything about our fruitless hunt today.

* * *

><p>"So, today's score is… hundred percent for the Behemoths! And a fat, round, perfect zero for the heroes," Snow says in dismay after we all finish eating. "I mean, seriously, we didn't even meet a single Behemoth," he continued, groaning. I note Fang shooting him a sharp glance, but Snow doesn't seem to notice it. Lightning and Vanille, meanwhile, are listening with interest.<p>

"Zero? How come?" Lightning asks.

"It seems like the Behemoths have scattered further down the Steppe, Light… We couldn't meet any around here," comes Hope's immediate answer. "Yep, and I don't feel good thinking they are still rampaging and rising havoc somewhere else," Sazh adds. "Tell you what, I personally think we should go in a specialized journey to hunt these beasts down. Like, we should clean at least half of them, right?"

"Agree!" Snow says exuberantly, smiling widely. He clearly can't wait to have a good wrestle with Behemoths again.

"I agree, too!" Vanille says cheerfully. "Sounds like fun, and we won't get any progress if we just stick around this area. We'd better go out there, take care of matters once and for all, and reclaim peace! What do you think, guys? Serah?"

"Oh, I agree, too…" I answer immediately. Vanille's right, we'd rather take care of this troublesome matter as soon as possible.

"I agree, but… what does 'specialized journey' mean exactly?" Hope asks, looking a little hesitant.

"That means," Fang says, speaking for the first time since this conversation started, "We've gotta leave this basecamp for a few days in order to travel further, and sleep in the open in that few days. Once it's done, we go back here."

Hope nods, smiling when he finally understands what we are about to do.

"Alright. Then I'm coming, too."

I immediately turn to look at Lightning, horrified. I have completely forgotten about her condition in my frustration! The others seem to just realized this, too, as they stare at Lightning with shock and guilt in their eyes. For a while, no one talks. Then Fang's stern voice comes.

"No."

Immediately Lightning turns to face Fang, annoyance in her eyes. "What? I'm healed, I can fight now! I'm coming," she says with a tone that is unarguable.

But it has only been a few weeks since Lightning woke up! Her wound may not have healed completely… it may have stopped hurting, but who knows? Lightning should not be going around fighting… yet. Is this why Fang seems so agitated about the idea of making the journey? Because she was worried Light might insist to come along? _How could I not understand, _I think angrily to myself. I look up to meet my sister's eyes and say, "Light, you can't come. You were injured so badly, you shouldn't be fighting so soon… your wound may re-open."

"It hasn't been hurting at all these few days, Serah," Lightning answers stubbornly, turning to face me. I can see she is getting annoyed since I choose to gang up with Fang against her. The rest of the group are just watching us, worry in their eyes.

"But it may be, if you fight with us, Light! You see, all you've been doing these days is simply _training._ It's different from the real fight!"

Upon hearing this, Lightning's expression darkens. She glares right into my eyes, and says with a voice as cold as ice, "Are you trying to say that my trainings were negligible?"

Under normal circumstances, I would have apologized for what I've said, added a respectful bow and ran away as fast as possible upon seeing that glare of Lightning's. It sends chill up my spine. But now, I can't back down. If I do, Light may hurt herself again, and no way am I letting that happen! So I just force myself to stare back into those frozen lakes, despite my brain is screaming how idiotic I am and that I should've scrammed the moment Light glares at me.

"That's not what I mean, Light. I'm just saying that the Behemoths really are tough, and the fights are difficult… You may hurt yourself."

"Do you really think I can't handle mere Behemoths?" Lightning asks, raising her eyebrows. I know by then that I will never be able to persuade her to stay behind. So, the only way to make her stay is… to force her. I gulp. There's no way I can force Lightning by using physical force, she is more than three times stronger than me... So the only choice left is to attack her using words. At this point, though, the others have fallen completely silent, not daring to intervene. Even Fang just watches us intently and thoughtfully, while Vanille and Hope are turning their heads from Light to me alternately as though they are watching a tennis match.

"Lightning, quit being so stubborn! We are just trying to keep you safe, that's all!" I answer her, realizing that my voice is rising. Lightning clenches her fists, her anger radiating so brightly that I think the monsters around here are now hiding from it. I can feel my own forced bravery beginning to falter, but I grit my teeth and force myself harder to look straight into Lightning's eyes and keep my expression stoic… just like Lightning's usual expression. _If I am to make her stay here, I must not show any weakness._

"The point is, Serah, I don't need to be _kept safe,_" Lightning hisses those two last words. "I am more than capable of protecting myself. There is no point trying to keep me here! I must go, so we can clean this Behemoth mess as soon as possible, then prepare to fight Barthandelus! The longer we wait, the bigger is the chance that he may come and find us when we are not ready! Don't you get that?"

I shake my head quickly, feeling my own anger rising. "No, _you _are the one who don't get it! If you go and get hurt again, we will have to spend even longer time waiting for you to heal, Light!"

"Serah, I'm fine! I'm sure I won't get hurt!"

"How can you be so sure, Light? The last time you promised me something like that, you ended up with your body all torn up at the end of the day! You were half-dead, too pained to even move!"

The moment those words come out of my lips, I know I've gone too far. Lightning snarls, her fists shaking in anger. I can hear Vanille gasps and the others exchange wary glances. I know it was unfair of me to attack her using that promise she made before fighting Yojimbo, because she did fulfill it at the end… but I just don't want her to end up like that, ever again!

"Serah, this is the time for you to shut up," Lightning warns, and I believe she is serious. She always is, anyway. Yet I've come this far, and have said those words. So I might as well continue.

"No, _you _shut up, sis."

WHAM!

I squirm as Lightning punches the ground, leaving indents on the soil. _Geez, the ground is so hard yet she can make indents on it… If she decides to hit me, I will surely get at least broken bones,_ I think grimly, wincing.

"Give me one reason, one good reason, of why I should shut up and stay behind, Serah," Lightning hisses, her voice dangerously low. Her eyes have turned to piercing ice by now. I ponder my next answer, hesitating. I know it would hurt her pride, but if it can force her to stay and be safe… then maybe I should use it.

I look straight into her eyes before answering.

"Because you'll only be a burden, Lightning. Your wound will start hurting, you'll be immobilized and the Behemoths may gore us to death while we try to protect you! All because you are just too proud and selfish to actually stay behind and keep outta our way!"

_Okay, now that's way too far._

Lightning stands up quickly upon hearing this, her eyes flaring with anger. I can see she is hurt by what I've said, but it's too late to pull back now. I stand up as well to face her, feeling the others' alertness as they begin to rise too, eyeing us but not daring to intervene… yet. I turn my gaze back to Lightning, and immediately feel like I've been pierced by blue spears as I meet her eyes.

"How dare you, Serah…" Lightning growls.

I have to use all self-control I possess in order to stop myself from running away and to keep my expression calm.

"Of course I do, Lightning. Didn't you hear what I said? You are a burden. You'll get us all killed."

Lightning walks towards me, her flaring eyes never once leave mine. "Light…?" I can hear Hope's nervous warning, but Lightning ignores him and continues walking towards me. Her fists are clenched and tense, and I can see the others eyeing them nervously, afraid that she may hit me. But I know she won't. Lightning will never, ever hurt me, no matter how angry she is. She may give me the death glare that makes me feel like fainting, she may act very coldly or say things that burn my ears—but she will never hurt me. That's why I can keep calm and return her gaze.

"I will not just stay here, Serah!" she shouts.

"Yes, you will! Don't you realize you can get us all killed if you come along?"

"Serah!" Lightning practically roars now, striding towards me with terrifying speed, looking sinister with her eyes flaring like that. Our height difference also makes her loom above me, and before I notice it, I've subconsciously move backwards, away from her. I stop myself. _She'll never hurt you, _I tell myself_._

"Sorry, Light, but we have no time to baby you."

Lightning's fist is raised upon hearing this, shooting towards me in great speed. I can see the others standing up immediately, but I ignore them and just watches Lightning's fist as it moves towards me fast, ready to beat me down. Yet I keep glaring into her eyes, ignoring her incoming fist. It's practically right in front of me now; I can see the muscles on her forearm and the shiny knuckles of her glove. It can hit me anytime…

_Lightning will never hurt me._

…and it misses my face by a mere centimeter, hitting the tree behind me instead with a loud wham. I can feel bits of wood falling down on my shoulder, and the tree groans in protest of her abuse. I glance sidelong at her stretched arm beside my head to see it shaking. Then, slowly I turn my gaze towards Lightning's face again.

Lightning is baring her clenched teeth in anger and hurt, unable to say anything. She just glares into my eyes, without drawing her arm back.

"See, Lightning? You can't even hit me," I say softly.

_This is the last… please, Light, stop being so stubborn… I don't want to hurt you more than this…_

Lightning lets out a snarl, still refusing to draw her arm back. But then interference comes.

"All right, enough!" Fang's shout pierces the air. She approaches us, grabs Lightning's outstretched arm and jerks it away from me. I look up at her, surprised.

"Ya think you are okay, Lightning? Well you may be now, but your sis here is right, we can't be sure if you really are healed. So why don't we have a quick spar now, eh, to make sure you really are healed? To prove things once and for all, and end this argument?"

Lightning stares at Fang in surprise, as well as the rest of us. I stare at her too, feeling panic and worry begin to creep inside my heart. Sure, Fang's offer seems to be the only way to end this argument… But that means Lightning will have to fight Fang! Is she really okay? Will they be okay? Fang is terrifyingly powerful… What if Lightning gets hurt? No, what if _both _of them get hurt? Lightning is powerful, too. But if she wins this fight, that would mean she has indeed recovered… and that's good… but what if she hasn't? What if she gets hurt? Fang is far more powerful than a Behemoth, that's for sure.

My train of thoughts is cut short as Lightning speaks.

"Then let's settle this, Fang."

Fang nods. "The first one to immobilize the other wins. And no moving out of this area."

Lightning gives a curt nod, before walking towards the open space a few meters away, drawing her gunblade out of its holster.

"Stay out of the way, guys," Fang says to us, before taking her lance out as well.

"Fang…" Vanille starts, but Fang cuts her words.

"We'll be fine, Vanille."

And so we follow her quietly, worry gnawing at my mind. _Please be okay, Fang, Light…_

* * *

><p>The moment the fight starts, the others and I have been expecting at least a flurry of blows and slashes from Lightning and Fang. But none of them came; instead Lightning and Fang are just circling each other slowly, eyeing every movement with their trained eyes like hawks. I keep staring at them, hoping with all my heart that they won't get hurt…<p>

As I look up at Lightning's eyes, I can see anger there, and a spark of stubbornness and determination. I understand her plight, I know how much she wants to help us cleaning the Behemoths and prepare for fighting Barthandelus, and that it is in her nature to protect those she cares about… not being able to do that, instead having to stay back and do nothing except resting must have tortured her deeply. But the problem is, I'm still not sure whether her wound has really healed or not! And I'm positive Fang is thinking of the same thing as well. I turn my gaze at Fang, seeing her face dark with silent resolve, her jade eyes looking sternly at Lightning. I know Fang doesn't really mean to hurt Lightning, she just wants to make Light realize that she still needs some more time to rest for the wound to heal… which is exactly the same purpose as mine. It's just that Fang is using physical force while I was merely using words. Despite her intimidating appearance, deep down Fang is actually a good person. She cares about Lightning, she doesn't want her to get hurt again… and since Lightning is just so freaking stubborn, the only way to keep her safe right now is to force her. But even though I'm sure Fang won't really hurt Light, just like Lightning will never hurt her, I still feel worried. I gulp as I continue looking at them, circling each other like panthers.

* * *

><p>Lightning keeps her gaze locked on Fang the moment the fight begins. Has it been anyone else, she would've released a flurry of blows the moment the fight starts. But it's Fang she is facing now, and she knows she can't afford to act rashly if she wants to win. <em>And I must win<em>, Lightning thinks. _This is stupid. Serah is over-worried, she knows I'm fine! If she keeps over-thinking things like this, she'll end up aging prematurely. I must win this fight and make her see that she doesn't have to keep worrying._

But actually, deep inside her heart, Lightning is worried as well. Despite her anger, she knows that Fang is actually trying to help her, in her own aggressive way. And although that only makes Lightning even angrier, actually she doesn't want to fight Fang. It's against her very nature… Fang is her friend. And Lightning doesn't hurt her friends.

_Well, _Lightning thinks ruefully, _there's no turning back now… If I lose, I won't be able to help them at all. _

At that moment, Lightning makes her decision. She must win, but that doesn't necessarily mean she must hurt Fang. No, she'll never inflict any serious injury to her friend. She'll just immobilize her, and win this fight…

And so Lightning just circles around Fang slowly, tensing her muscles as she waits for Fang to begin her attack. Fang, meanwhile, is doing the same thing too. Her gaze follows Lightning's every movement, her hand gripping her lance tightly as she waits. Lightning knows that sooner or later, Fang would start attacking. She's never been the patient type after all.

* * *

><p>Lightning was right, a few moments later Fang finally lost her patience and charges at Lightning, dashing towards her with her lance raised, ready to jab.<p>

_Finally, _Lightning thinks as she somersaults over Fang, landing behind her and swings her gunblade. It never hits Fang though, as she turns around right on time to meet Lightning's blade with her own lance. A loud clang echoes through the air as the two weapons bite into each other, their impact force flows through both Lightning's and Fang's arms. They jump backwards at the same time, without breaking their gaze on each other.

_She is still as strong as ever, _Lightning thinks as she moves in to attack again, this time preparing to release spells as well. Fang dashes towards her too, and this time they are stuck trading blows with each other. Amidst the high-speed slashing, blocking and jabbing, Lightning realizes with frustration that Fang manages to block all her attacks. And the fact that she is also able to block all of Fang's attacks only means that they are perfectly matched… and this fight will surely be a long one. With an annoyed grunt, Lightning slashes upwards at Fang, forcing her to hold her lance horizontally to block the attack. The moment Lightning sees Fang's lance raised, she immediately releases an Aero spell with her left hand at Fang's unprotected midriff.

The Aero spell never hits Fang, though, as she splits her lance into three at the last instant and uses one section of it to block the spell. With the other end, Fang jabs at Lightning, who has to quickly bring her gunblade down to the right to block.

_Wrong move. Damn,_ Lightning winces as she realizes her action has caused her left side to be wide open. Fang immediately uses the opportunity to jab at her with the first section of her lance, the one that she just used to block the Aero spell. As she thrust it towards Lightning, the two other sections of her lance follows the thrusting section like a snake's body before combining into one again, adding an extra force to the attack. Sensing that she can't bring her gunblade to block the attack on time, Lightning releases a Protect spell. However, the spell isn't strong enough to completely block the attack, instead it only deflects the lance away. But this is enough for Lightning to swing her gunblade towards Fang once more, feeling the tension begins to build in her arm from moving so fast and blocking Fang's powerful blows.

* * *

><p>Fang has been having a hard time trying to keep up with Lightning's speed. She <em>is <em>stronger than Light, but she can never be as fast as she is. Her nimble legs, her fast arms, her flexibility… and her e_yes. _Those cerulean eyes, those cold orbs that keep glaring at her, really make her feel a little uneasy. Fang has never given a damn about people's stares or glares before, but Lightning's is different. They may look scary at first glance; but as Fang grows to know her, she realizes that whenever Lightning glares, she can see sadness or pain in her eyes as well, hidden by a wall of emotionless ice. Fang has never liked to see that look in Lightning's eyes… Lightning is her friend. Fang doesn't want her to suffer… she wants to swipe all those sadness and pain away, like how she sweep all those Leyaks away with her lance, but doing that proves to be way more difficult than she thought... Especially with Lightning's stubbornness and foolhardiness. Yet most importantly, Fang wants Lightning to be safe, she doesn't want Light to get hurt anymore. That's why, she vows to win this fight, to show Lightning that she is still injured and has to rest. Looking up, Fang continues fighting with increasing determination.

* * *

><p>Fang has thought that she would finally manage to land a blow on Lightning the moment she recombines her lance's three sections and jabs at Lightning, but the soldier has reacted very quickly and casts a Protect to deflect her lance. Growling in annoyance, Fang realizes Lightning's incoming gunblade is about to hit her. Knowing she can't possibly have enough time to block the attack with her lance, Fang lets the inertia from her earlier lance jab takes over and she falls forward, hearing Lightning's gunblade swishing right above her. Rolling away, Fang quickly stands up again, only to be greeted with a barrage of slashes from Lightning. Grunting, Fang raises her lance, trying her best to keep up with Lightning's annoyingly-high speed. She begins to feel her arm aching from the continuous effort, but she ignores it and keeps moving her lance left and right. Because Fang knows all too well that if she stops for even one second, Lightning would've landed a nasty blow on her.<p>

_She is still as strong and fast as always, _Fang thinks as Lightning's inhuman speed forces her to split her lance into three in order to block the slashes. To the others' eyes, it may look like Lightning is having the upper hand in the fight, and they are currently correct. It may also look like Lightning has indeed fully recovered from her injuries, since her attacks are as powerful and fast as they were before she got injured. But Fang knows better. She has fought with Lightning so many times before, and even sparred with her occasionally. And Fang has realized that in this fight, Lightning is trying to protect her left side, her injured side, whether she realizes it or not. The proof? Well, that Protect spell she used earlier was more or less the proof.

Fang scowls ruefully as she remembers her last spar with Lightning before she got hurt. Back then, something similar has happened: Fang had lurched forward to attack Lightning when she was off-guard, and instead of casting a Protect spell, Lightning had grabbed Fang's lance with her free hand, forcing it to stop and in turn made Fang vulnerable for an attack. Fang was too surprised to react fast enough back then, and Lightning managed to land a damn-hard blow on Fang's head with the side of her gunblade. Fang even still remembers seeing stars when the gunblade hit her head.

But now? Lightning has opted for a definitely less offensive Protect spell instead. Fang knows that trying to stop a thrusting lance by grabbing it is of course a risky stunt; it has the risk of the lance slamming onto Lightning's side. But normally, Lightning wouldn't skip a chance to land a counterattack on Fang like that. Normally, she would've grabbed the lance, to hell whether the lance hits her side or not; because the damage caused by that hit will surely be minimal. The fact that Lightning hasn't done that only proves that she is still being cautious and trying to protect her injured side, that she doesn't want to risk it getting hit even by the smallest of blows. And could that mean… the wound's not healed? Or is Lightning just simply being cautious? Fang still hasn't known the answer. But to her, the first choice is more likely the truth. And she becomes even more determined to show this to Lightning, to make her realize that she still needs some time to rest… because Fang sure as hell doesn't want to see that wound reopens if Lightning pushes herself too hard and fights the Behemoths along with them.

_You may not realize it, Light, but that wound still needs time to heal… And I won't let you fight recklessly only to see it reopens! I'm not… letting you get hurt again! _

And so Fang grips her lance tighter, blocking Lightning's attacks and starts aiming her attacks to Lightning's left side. As much as she hates seeing Lightning in pain, she has decided that if she wants to make Lightning realizes her wound hasn't healed, she has to make her _feel_ it.

* * *

><p>The fight has been going on for so long. Fang and Lightning are so equally-matched, they keep exchanging blows, casting spells, blocking, and in Lightning's case, somersaulting and flipping away. Seeing her doing that, seeing her fighting this intently, start to make me wonder if her wound has indeed healed. Yet for some reason, I'm still unconvinced… So I just continue watching Fang and Lightning fight, my worry begins to get unbearable as the fight continues. Beside me, I can see the others are extremely worried too. We have seen Light and Fang spar before, but this is different. This is serious, and the possibility that Lightning's wound may start hurting her again only makes us even more worried. We are worried about Fang as well, since I have made Lightning furious earlier and she may lose control and hurt Fang…<p>

I shake my head to get rid of that last thought. Lightning will never hurt her friends. She won't. Just like earlier… I had thought that she might really hit me, but at the end she didn't. This is just the same… They may be fighting seriously, but Lightning and Fang will never really hurt each other. Besides, they are both highly skilled, they can dodge and block even the fastest and strongest attacks. Unfortunately, that will only mean this fight is bound to be a long one, since they keep attacking yet blocking each other.

I stare at Lightning and Fang, wondering when they will stop. Do they have endless energy or something? The fight has been going on for so long! What kind of stamina do they actually have? This is crazy. And they are both serious… this fight is different from their usual spar. Usually Fang would've smirked or even laughed, and her and Lightning would sometimes even exchange playful taunts. Just like wolf cubs who play by fighting each other…

But now they are really serious. Their eyes are blazing, glaring at each other, refusing to lose. Their arms moving fast to deliver powerful blows, their feet stepping quickly to dodge attacks. To be able to fight like this for such a long time… They really are our death machines, like Sazh said.

* * *

><p><em>It hurts, <em>Lightning thinks in shock as her wound starts to throb. The long fight seems to have taken its toll on her, since her arms begin to feel heavy and her legs aching. But that has been familiar to Lightning, she has experienced that countless of times before. Besides, Fang is more or less at the same condition as her. But suddenly, after Fang releases a flurry of blows directed at her left side, Lightning suddenly feels a dull but indeniable pain cutting through her stomach again despite she manages to block all of Fang's attacks.

Lightning starts to get angry. She grits her teeth, her blows subconsciously increase in strength as her anger builds. She is so frustrated with that wound, and now that she thinks it has finally healed it suddenly decides to start hurting again? Plus, if this continues, it may cause her to lose the fight.

_No way! _Lightning shouts furiously in her mind, forcing her arms to strike even harder.

* * *

><p><em>Something's wrong with her, <em>Fang thinks as she suddenly receives a barrage of extremely powerful attacks from Lightning. She struggles to keep up with her increased speed and strength, unwillingly getting forced to move backwards by the soldier's power. Yet something seems amiss, and Fang is thinking hard to find out what it is.

Suddenly Lightning lets out a snarl as she thrusts her gunblade towards Fang. Fang is surprised, since the attack focuses too much on power and leaves Lightning's side wide open. It is as though…

…_As though she wants to end this fight quickly, _Fang realizes. That's so unlike Lightning. Lightning usually won't leave herself vulnerable like that just to end a fight quickly. _No, there must be a reason of why she does it_, Fang thinks as she blocks the attack, moving a few steps backwards by the sheer power of the attack.

As Fang recalls Lightning's snarl that sounded angry, it clicks in her brain.

_Can her wound be hurting? _Fang wonders as she eyes Lightning's left side and movement more tentatively. Her suspicion is deepened when she sees Lightning's movements are a little unbalanced, she seems to be trying to put less weight on her left foot. And she no longer adds in punches with her left hand like she did before.

Fang frowns, beginning to feel worried. She doesn't want to cause Lightning more pain… But as she looks up at Lightning and sees her forcing herself to keep fighting, even trying to cover her pain with anger, Fang realizes that she'd rather hurt Lightning a little now than letting her joining the Behemoth hunt and get herself hurt even worse in the process.

_I'm sorry, Light, _Fang thinks, _but this is needed._

* * *

><p>The throbs have increased to a burning sensation by now. Seems like Serah was right: the wound wouldn't hurt during trainings, but in real fights, it would.<p>

_No! _Lightning thinks in dismay. _I won't give up to this stupid wound! It's supposed to have healed! _

Yet the pain still washes through Lightning, preventing her to use her left side as effectively as before. She can't punch with her left hand anymore, and even putting her weight on her left leg makes the wound throb.

_I must end this fight quickly_, Lightning thinks. Without further ado, she dashes towards Fang and assault her with Army of One.

* * *

><p>The moment Fang sees Lightning's Army of One coming, she immediately gets worried. Lightning is pushing herself way too far. Army of One needs a lot of energy, Fang knows. She has asked Lightning before about it, and learned that the move needs a great deal of speed and flexibility combined with strength. Strength is not a problem for Fang, but she doesn't have the flexibility and speed needed to perform the move. Hence, she gives up from learning it, knowing that the move is Lightning's alone.<p>

But now Lightning is trying to pull that Army of One? While she is obviously hurting?

_I must stop you right here, right now, Light. I'm sorry._

* * *

><p>I stare in disbelief as Lightning increases her speed and strength. <em>How can she possibly still possess more energy like that?<em> I mused. But then the answer comes to me as I hear her snarling, an angry snarl at that. And Lightning is usually angry when she is…

…_In pain. _That realization strikes me as I see her attacking Fang over and over again, the clangs of their weapons getting louder it is deafening. I'm sure of it, the only reason of why Lightning is suddenly angry can only because her wound is hurting! I stare at her left side in worry, half-expecting to see it bleeding. But fortunately, it is still not bleeding…yet.

_This fight has to end, fast! _

Then Lightning dashes towards Fang, her gunblade raised high beside her. I know that stance.

_Army of One…?_

"No!" I hear Vanille gasps as she sees Lightning releases her Army of One at Fang. I understand her worry and fear, even I know how powerful Army of One is! That move is so fast and overwhelming, many monsters have been shredded to pieces by that move before they even know what hit them. I know Fang will not get seriously hurt by that move, but still…

I cannot even blink as I watch them in horror, Lightning assaulting Fang so furiously. Vanille is whimpering beside me as she sees Fang struggling to block the attacks, receiving a few slashes on her arms in the process.

But then something unexpected happens.

* * *

><p>Fang… Other than me, the next person closest to Lightning is probably her. They spar so often, they always partner each other in battles, and they truly respect and care for each other. I often spot Fang teasing Lightning, and Lightning sometimes even smirk on that. They are friends. And friends know each other well. Fang's occasional spars and battles alongside Lightning seems to make her understand Lightning's moves and attack patterns the best, she is so used and familiar to them that she can predict Lightning's next move just from her stance.<p>

Just when Lightning releases her last blow at Fang, Fang steps sideways and parries the blow successfully.

Right then, suddenly Lightning gasps and grunts in pain, buckling forward, totally immobilized and open for an attack. I am stunned, realizing that it must be her wound hurting! Fang seems surprised too, but then her gaze hardens as if she has expected this to happen. She dashes towards Light, without giving her any chance to recover. I see a twinkle of light in her jade eyes, one that we often see whenever Fang is about to execute her plan, either an attack plan or a teasing plan. But for now, I'm sure as hell it is the first option.

Without hesitating, Fang leaps high to the air, raising her lance above her head.

"No!" I shout in disbelief as I recognize that stance.

"Fang, don't!" Vanille shouts as well.

Too late.

With a long cry, Fang releases her Highwind upon Lightning.

* * *

><p>Lightning manages to sense the incoming attack on time. It is because she has spent so much time sparring against Fang or battling alongside her, so she knows Fang's every move well. She knows her stance, she knows her attack patterns, she knows her habits. And she knows <em>that s<em>tance particularly well, since she has asked Fang about it in detail before.

When Fang asked Lightning about her Army of One, Lightning had asked her about her Highwind as well. She learnt that the move requires so much strength, in a level that she cannot reach. That was why Lightning did not ask Fang to teach her that move, since she knows that the move is as solely for Fang as Army of One is for her.

And now Fang is jumping in that all-too-familiar manner.

_It's coming, _Lightning thinks as she struggles to move away. Yet the earlier Army of One she's released has made her wound to throb harder, making it difficult for her to move fast. And so Lightning can only scurry away while raising her gunblade, steadying herself and increasing her defense in preparation for the incoming attack.

And so Fang's lance falls upon Lightning, as powerful and deadly as a guillotine.

* * *

><p>The impact of the attack sends a wave of energy. It hits us directly, causing us to stagger backwards.<p>

_No way! This kind of powerful attack… Lightning!_

As soon as I recover from the stagger, I immediately look up, wanting to make sure that Lightning is alright, that she hasn't been split into two by that Highwind!

But what I see leaves me gaping in desperation and fear.

Lightning is crying out as her gunblade meets with Fang's lance. She has managed to block the attack, but the sheer power of it still causes her to stagger backwards, totally open for another attack.

Without giving Lightning any chance to dodge, Fang throws her lance aside, and dashes towards Lightning.

And she hits Lightning hard directly on her wound.

"No! Fang!" I scream out in disbelief, feeling extremely worried when Lightning's body jerks in pain and folds involuntarily into two, causing her to fall on one knee as she cries out in pain.

"Agh!"

With her energy totally drained, Lightning drops her gunblade. Crimson blossoms through her white overcoat.

* * *

><p>Fang stands in front of Lightning's buckled form, panting. She can hear the other's shouts and screams, but she doesn't care. <em>Time to finish this<em>.

"You see, Lightning," Fang begins. "You're not ready. Your wound's still unhealed! You have to stay behind and rest if you want it to ever close properly! We're leaving without you. And don't you dare follow us in your condition!" Fang deliberately rises her voice as she looks at Lightning, who is panting, clutching her wound and clenching her teeth.

* * *

><p>"Nooooo!"<p>

I can hear Vanille and Hope shout out beside me as we run towards Lightning the moment we see her falls and bleeds.

_No… Lightning…._

"Don't come any nearer!" Suddenly Fang shouts, grabbing her lance again and swinging it at us. We stop in our tracks, staring at her in surprise.

"We are leaving now. Pack up and go!" Fang commands, slashing her lance sideways as she says it.

"But, Fang! Light…" Vanille begins, turning her head to look at Lightning worriedly, a healing spell already forming in her hand.

"Leave her! We are leaving, right now!" Fang shouts again, her eyes glaring dangerously.

"But Lightning is hurt, Fang! We can't just leave her here!" Snow suddenly says, approaching us with Sazh.

"I said," Fang growls dangerously as she walks towards us, "Move out."

We all stare at Fang in disbelief, unable to comprehend what she is saying. I am almost unable to control myself, I want to approach Light and ensure she is okay! But Fang…

"Trust me," Fang says, softer this time so only us can hear her. "I'm not doing this without a reason…" As she says that, she looks at my eyes, and I can see pain in her eyes as well. I am surprised to see it, and can only stand there without knowing what to do. But Vanille, she seems to have trusted Fang. She turns to face us, saying "You guys heard what she says. We are moving out, now."

I still cannot believe what has just happened, but the others have begun to reluctantly pack up and prepare to leave for the Behemoth hunt. Fang meanwhile, has turned to Lightning again, who hasn't moved at all.

"We'll be back in a few days. Rest, and make sure you are completely healed the next time we meet. I hope Lady Luck will side you, Light."

With that, she turns towards me, places a shaking hand on my shoulder and pushes me away from Light, towards the others who are waiting a few steps away from us. I turn my head to look at Lightning again, seeing her still buckling on one knee, refusing to lift up her head to look at us. She just stays still, holding her wound, which, to my relief, has stopped bleeding.

The moon shines coldly at us as we walk across the Archylte Steppe, totally uncaring of what has just happened.


	23. Chapter 23

It's been quite some time since we last saw Lightning… since we left her alone that night... The Behemoth hunt has been successful, despite taking longer than expected. We did manage to clean off so many of them as we travel further down the Steppe. And now it's almost over. We spotted three Behemoths dashing towards Haerii Acreopolis yesterday, and decided to finish them off. But not before seeing Lightning, though. I desperately miss her, and not to mention awfully worried. The others must have felt the same, too, since everyone agreed to find Lightning first before chasing those last three Behemoths to Haerii Acreopolis… with her, if she is okay.

I am indeed worried about Lightning, but there is one more reason why I want to see her as soon as possible. I want to apologize… for what I've said to her before her fight with Fang. Especially, for calling her selfish… Since Lightning is anything but selfish. In fact, she is too selfless for her own good. I only called her selfish to anger her, but I know it has hurt her deeply as well… That's why, I really need to apologize, although I'm a bit scared too, of course. I gaze at the sky, huffing as I recall the events that happened after we left Lightning alone on that night.

* * *

><p>After we left Lightning, we have stopped the moment the base camp was no longer within eyesight. Everyone seemed at a loss of words, we simply kept quiet as we started preparing to settle down for the night… or whatever's left of it, since that time was surely already past midnight. Without saying a single word, we settled to the ground, busy with our own thoughts. But most importantly, we were afraid we may upset the unusually-silent Fang, even if we only talk. So everyone just remained quiet.<p>

Fang, meanwhile, had dropped herself to the ground with a soft groan. Taking out a small cloth, she began cleaning the dry blood on the cuts along her arms. Sadness began to wash over me as the sight of those cuts reminded me of who had inflicted them.

_Light…_

Vanille had settled beside Fang by now, casting Cure on her cuts after the dry blood had been cleaned. Fang looked up at her at first, mouth agape as if to say something about being fine, but then she shook her head and received Vanille's healing spells gratefully. The cuts were numerous, and although none of them was serious but they surely caused quite some pain. Not that Fang showed any sign of being disturbed by them though. She just looked terribly tired… yet her eyes were still bright with… worry?

I shook my head, still unable to fully register what had just happened. _We left Lightning… alone… in that state…!_

The only question in my mind was 'why?' Yet, I was too scared to ask Fang directly at that moment.

* * *

><p>I couldn't take it anymore. Vanille had finished healing Fang, and it looked like she'd go to sleep soon. It had to be now, or else I might end up not being able to sleep the whole night.<p>

"…Why?"

Fang's head immediately jerked up, looking at me sharply. Maybe I should have been afraid, but at that time I was too shocked I couldn't feel anything. Numb.

So I just stared back at Fang, feeling my body began to shake uncontrollably as images of Lightning's buckled form flashed through my mind. Her cry of pain, the crimson color that blossomed through her overcoat…

"Why, Fang? Explain yourself!"

Without knowing where I'd got the courage from, I'd yelled at Fang, feeling my hands trembling. But not only with worry this time. Currently, I felt anger rose within me as well. I supposed it should be anger for Fang, but I found out that most of the anger I felt was actually directed at myself.

"Serah, I _am_ sorry…" Fang began, her usually calm voice suddenly thick. "I didn't want to hurt Light, too, but I just couldn't… let her act recklessly and join us in this journey! She ain't ready! She'll get herself hurt worse, possibly even killed… and that's, that's just something I can never allow to happen. I'd rather hurt her now and make her realize how badly she's been injured."

Fang continued looking straight into my eyes, and I could see pain and sadness in those jade orbs.

Shaking my head, I could feel tears begin to well up in my eyes.

"But you didn't have to hit her that hard, did you?" Hope unexpectedly said, his voice somewhat sounded accusing. Still, he looked just like every one of us: lost, shocked, sad and worried. He averted his gaze when Fang looked at him, but didn't take back his question.

"It was needed," Fang replied.

"But, but! She was _bleeding, _Fang! I understand you had to make her wound hurts in order for her to realize the seriousness of her injury, but why must you hit her that hard!"

Fang huffed, looking even more tired. "I must, kid. If I didn't, the wound wouldn't have hurt as bad and that stubborn Light might have decided to just ignore it… You know how stubborn she is. But when it bleeds, then it becomes an undeniable proof that her wound hasn't closed properly. Not even she can deny that."

Hope fell silent, reluctantly accepting Fang's answer as his shoulders drooped helplessly.

"Look, I'm sorry, Hope… Serah…" Fang said.

I couldn't take it anymore. Fang sounded so sad and pained, yet she was still apologizing? It wasn't even her fault!

"No, don't be, Fang… It's not your fault! You only did exactly what you have to do… It was indeed needed to convince Light… Besides, if there is anyone to blame, it would be me."

I shuddered as I remember all those cruel words I'd said to Lightning before her fight with Fang.

"Had I not said those heartless words… had I not provoked her that much, she might have had listened to reasons! There might not be any fight at all… What was I thinking? Insulting her pride like that… calling her selfish when all she wanted was just to protect us…"

That was when Vanille approached and hugged me, stopping my words.

"Stop right there, Serah," she says, her forest green eyes glittering with a thin sheet of tears as well. "Same as Fang, you only did what you have to do… Hadn't you done that, Lightning would've forced her way into joining us… and gets hurt further. No, stop thinking that way. No one's to blame here, okay? You know Lightning has always been difficult… She is way too selfless for her own good. I understand she just wants to help us, to protect us, but she's pushed herself way too far… That's why we had to stop her. Because, you see, we all care about her, too. So stop blaming yourself."

Without waiting for my answer, Vanille tightened her hug around my shoulders. Stunned, I replied her hug a little late, but when I buried my face in her shoulder I began to sob faintly.

"Thank you," I said as Vanille released me, smiling weakly. She replied my smile, wiping her own tears away with her hand.

"You're welcome… Geez, all of this is just so complicated, right? Sometimes I just wish Lightning isn't so stubborn."

Fang chuckled bitterly upon hearing that. "And that's the reason why I urged you all to leave her as soon as possible… If I didn't, she might have recovered from the pain and joined us here as well. So we had to… act fast."

"Are you sure she is okay, though, Fang?" Snow asked, his brows furrowed in worry.

"She was bleeding…" Hope added half-heartedly. After what we all had said, he seemed to have accepted that we had done the right thing. Yet, it was still too much for him… to see his mentor, his big-sister figure, in a beaten up and pained condition like that. And this was his second time.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine," Fang said firmly. "Lightning is strong. Besides, I didn't hurt her _that _hard… I was just intending to cause some minor bleeding on the surface."

"She's right," Vanille added in an assuring tone. "I've seen a glance of that wound, the bleeding has stopped even when we were still preparing to leave… It was nothing serious. It surely caused some pain, though, but I'm positive it has served its purpose. Seems like Lightning has finally admitted how serious her injuries are."

"I just hope she'll rest properly now," Sazh said.

"Me too," Fang added grimly. "She'd better use this time while we hunt for the remaining Behemoths to rest. I think her wound would be able to close properly that way…"

The rest of us simply nodded in agreement, too exhausted both mentally and physically.

_Light… I hope you're okay… Take care of yourself until we return, alright? We all want nothing else but to see you all healed and okay again…_

With that, we slowly drifted to sleep, one by one. The last thing I stared at was the dark, starless sky.

* * *

><p>So now here we are, walking towards the base camp, preparing to see Lightning again. We don't even know how she is doing… I've spent these last few days worrying about her, thinking of the worst possibilities and even having nightmares about monsters attacking her. What if some Behemoths stray to her place, while we were away? What if they attack her? What if she couldn't fight? What if…<p>

"Calm down, kid," Fang's voice suddenly comes from beside me, making me jump a little in surprise.

"What do you mean? I'm fi—"

"Don't start saying 'fine's like Light. You're not fine, you're getting all worked up… you're clenching your fists. Just calm down, I'm sure Light is doing fine… she is strong," Fang cuts my words, scratching her head without even looking at me.

"Oh, urm… okay… thanks…?" I say hesitantly, confused by her stoic-yet-caring words. Fang just hums in reply, but at least she has achieved her purpose. My worry subsides… a little. Fang acknowledges Lightning is strong, that means she is surely able to survive despite being alone. But still, I'm worried about her wound…

"Look, just don't think too much, okay?" Fang says again, this time turning her head towards me as she walks calmly but surely. "Our base camp is relatively safe and secluded, monsters seldom stray there..."

I give her a small smile, saying "Yeah, you're right, Fang… thanks again."

"No prob, kiddo. Y'see, I'm quite sure no monster entered our base camp... Light wouldn't even need to twitch a muscle or use a single spell to—"

CRACK!

All our conversations are cut short when suddenly the sky darkens and a loud crackling sound appears, causing us to cover our ears, surprised. We all throw our heads up to look at the sky…

…and our eyes instantly widen as we literally see the sky has cracked. No, not cracked… it just a_ppears _to be cracked, since currently hundreds of lightning branches are tearing their way through the entire sky, all heading at the same direction.

BOOOM!

Vanille shouts in surprise as that explosion echoes through the air. The countless lightning branches have combined to form a giant bolt, which strikes down wrathfully somewhere further down the path. The explosion is massive, the sound deafening. But despite all this, we all know exactly what it is. We stopped for a while, stunned, staring at each other in disbelief.

"Could that be…?" Hope starts hesitantly.

That's when our senses kick back in. We dash as fast as possible towards the place where the mighty spell has struck down, and for some unknown reason I am suddenly able to run as fast as Fang, leading the group.

_That divine look… that heavenly-powerful Thunder element… could it be… _

_Wrath of Heavens?_

* * *

><p>We all arrive at the base camp at around the same time, bursting through the bushes in our impatience to prove whether the mighty spell we saw earlier was indeed Lightning's Wrath of Heavens. And now here we are, stunned at the event unfolding before our eyes.<p>

_It's her!_

Lightning is standing a few distance away from us, facing a Behemoth defiantly. Beside it, lies the carcass of another Behemoth, utterly scorched from the earlier Wrath of Heavens. I gasp, reflex lurching forward to assist Light, but Fang grabs my elbow to stop me. I look up at her in confusion and mild anger, demanding explanation.

"Don't, Serah. If that was indeed Wrath of Heavens we saw earlier, than it means Light has recovered enough to unleash it! We've gotta know if she has recovered fully, and the best way to prove that is by watching her fighting that Behemoth. Relax, if anything goes wrong, we can always help her. Though that's unlikely…" Fang's voice trails off as her attention shifts back to Lightning.

I follow her gaze to look at Lightning, feeling awe and relief build up inside my heart. The others are watching Lightning in amazement as well… It's been quite some time since we get to see her fighting at top condition like this. Yes, I would say 'top condition' since Lightning looks so, so fit. There's no sign of her wound hurting her. As I realize that, it was as though a few tons of weight have been lifted up my chest. From their faces, I know the others are feeling the same too.

Lightning lurches forward to attack the Behemoth, slashing her gunblade so quickly and powerfully at the monster's body. Her legs move incredibly fast, dodging all of the Behemoth's furious attacks. It's always been like this… Lightning's fighting style is always fast-paced, her speed unparalleled. She is able to move terrifyingly fast; her sharp wits, instincts and keen eyes enabling her to register every attack and react accordingly. But that was before she gets injured… Since she gets injured, she has never been able to move that way anymore. But now… she is actually doing just that.

I almost shout out in happiness as I watch Lightning fighting so easily like before again. Really, there is no more sign of that wound disturbing her. It is as though she has never been injured. But then, the Behemoth roars in fury and swipes its large claw at Lightning, who cannot possibly block it with her gunblade.

"Light—" I've only had the time to call out her name before Lightning somersaults backward. I feel worry begins to creep back into my mind as Lightning's overcoat flutters, revealing her stomach and the wound that cuts through it. I see it widens as Lightning stretches her body at the peak of her somersault, as though about to tear and reopen, its red color flashing though Lightning's alabaster skin.

But nothing else happens. Lightning lands on the ground, her wound never reopening like I feared. And despite the somersault, Lightning doesn't seem to be hurting at all. She is perfectly fine, her eyes blazing sharply as she glares at the Behemoth. Then she dashes forward and releases her Army of One at the monster, who roars in pain as Lightning's merciless assault tears its body repeatedly. She slashes, shoots, somersaults and kicks the monster repeatedly. It is overwhelmed, roaring in pain until finally, it collapsed to the ground, dead. Lightning simply flips away to avoid its tumbling body. She lands perfectly, not even out of breath, before she turns her ice-cold eyes at us.

"Light!" I heard Fang begins beside me, but before she can say anything else Lightning's expression changes and her body tenses. "Fang, look out!" she shouts.

Fang and I turn, right to see three more Behemoths pouncing at us. They must have been attracted by the noises of Lightning's fight. Luckily we manage to dodge the attack on time.

"Ha! Come to get beaten up like your friends over there?" Fang taunts the Behemoths, a smirk on her face.

"Fang, this is no time to be joking around! Attack!" Vanille shouts as she casts multiple debuffs on the Behemoths, while Snow acts as a Sentinel and Hope and Sazh cast buffs on the rest of us. Lightning, meanwhile, has started charging at the first Behemoth. Still laughing, Fang dashes to join her.

"Won't let you monopolize all of 'em, Light!" she shouts at Lightning, smirking. "Looks like the number of my preys will decrease, now that you are here and ready to snatch some of 'em!"

"You bet," Lightning replies calmly, shooting the first Behemoth right in the eyes before slashing at it. The Behemoth roars in pain, going berserk and slashes its claws wildly as Lightning's gunblade hurts its neck. Lightning immediately flips back to dodge it, continuing her attack right away with a Blitz move that hits both the first Behemoth and the second, which has snuck up behind her. As the two monsters stagger, Fang rushes in, jumping right before she reaches the first Behemoth. Lightning, upon seeing this, immediately realizes what Fang is up to and leaves the first Behemoth for her to finish off. A split second later, Fang's Highwind has fallen upon the monster's head, killing it. Lightning, meanwhile, has begun casting spells on the second Behemoth, along with Sazh and Hope who have finished casting buffs. I join the fray, since no one needs a Medic right now. Upon being overwhelmed by that many of spells, the second Behemoth staggers, growling in defiance. We are close to killing it, but what about the third Behemoth? Glancing over my shoulder, I am shocked to see it pouncing at Lightning, who is standing closest to it. Lightning has clearly noticed it, I've seen her glanced at it—but she does nothing. She ignores it, instead she keeps attacking the second Behemoth. The reason of her confidence comes in the form of Fang, who dashed in while using Steelguard to block the Behemoth's attack, stopping it from slashing Lightning's back. I can feel my jaw drop slightly upon seeing this.

_Their partnership is as flawless as always, _I think. That was amazing. Lightning and Fang really watch each other's back, and they assist each other so perfectly that all attacks are efficient.

Now, the second Behemoth is literally under a rain of spells from me, Lightning, Hope, Sazh and Vanille. The third one is trying to bite Fang, but Lightning immediately stops attacking the second Behemoth and rushes towards Fang, sending a Fire spell right in front of the third Behemoth's face, preventing it from biting Fang. Fang immediately makes use of this chance and smacks the monster hard, right on its face, sending it skidding a few meters away to the side. Meanwhile, the second Behemoth has finally succumbed to our spells and collapses.

Lightning and Fang do not even wait to watch the collapsing Behemoth, instead they immediately run towards the third one. We start to follow them, but Fang shouts. "Stop! Leave this one to us!"

We stop abruptly, hesitating. But then we see the joyful grin on Fang's face as she runs beside Lightning, and we understand that she just wants to fully enjoy fighting beside her battle partner again.

"Whew, that Behemoth is doomed! Both our death machines are at it!" Sazh says as he scratches his head. Vanille laughs happily, while Hope is watching Fang and Lightning with interest.

"Glad to be partnering you again, Light!" Fang shouts at Lightning, smirking. "Snow sucks!"

"I'm not surprised," Lightning replies as she somersaults over the Behemoth to avoid its gnashing jaws.

"So, how's it going? How's yer wound?" Fang asks again as she slashes at the Behemoth's side while it is still stumbling with its own inertia after failing to bite Light.

"Fine," Lightning answers as she lands and shoots a few bullets at the Behemoth.

"Heh, your answer doesn't help much! But I can see by myself that you're healed now, yea? You're fighting as good as before!" Ruin spells hit the Behemoth, stopping it from charging at Fang.

"Well, I guess resting does help." Thunder spells send the Behemoth roaring in pain.

"Whoots, then show me yer Wrath of Heavens! Ya perfected it, right?" Fang's Daze hits the monster, temporarily paralyzing it. "Finish this one with style!"

"I'll show you something better," Lightning shouts back as she takes a few steps away, preparing to release her mighty spell.

"Eh?"

"No question, just do what I say! Highwind, now!" Lightning glares at Fang, not wanting to waste the precious moments while the Behemoth is still paralyzed.

"Yes, Sergeant!" Fang smirks, mockingly saluting Light before jumping high, her lance raised.

"What's Light up to?" Snow asks in puzzlement as he watches Fang striking down at the

Behemoth.

The answer to his question comes when Lightning releases her Wrath of Heavens, right at the moment when Fang strikes down. The numerous lightning bolts combine, enveloping Fang's body without hurting her. From our position, it looks like Fang has turned into a lightning bolt… or the lightning bolts have taken shape of a giant fang… which strikes the Behemoth square on its body, creating a deafening explosion that sends shockwaves even as far as our position. We stagger back at the contact, amazed by the sheer power of the combined attacks. When we look up, the Behemoth has collapsed, dead. Of course. Even the ground around has turned to a crater. There's no way the Behemoth can survive an attack as powerful as that! I begin to feel sorry for it. Fang's Highwind combined with Lightning's Wrath of Heavens… Lightning's idea is really amazing. As expected from someone as intelligent as her... She really is a genius in battle tactics and strategy, like what Lieutenant Amodar always happily says, although that only makes Light feel awkward.

Fang, meanwhile, has stood up, observing her body that is unscathed by the Wrath of Heavens. Spells are usually like that, never hurting people other than their intended targets, but Wrath of Heavens is so ferocious and fickle! To be able to control it to that extent… Lightning has indeed mastered it. I look up at her, who is smirking in satisfaction as she walks towards Fang.

"Stylish enough for you?" she asks Fang. Meanwhile, we all run to approach them.

Fang is stunned, before laughing out loud and punches Lightning's shoulder playfully. "Way more stylish than I expected! Geez, you never stop surprising me, Light! What an honor to have your divine Wrath of Heavens aiding my Highwind," Fang throws a mock bow at Lightning, who just mutters her usual 'tch,' looking away.

"Now let's give that attack a name!" Snow's enthusiastic voice booms. Lightning huffs, sending him a tired look saying 'no need.' However, Fang cuts her refusal with her own voice. "Yeah! Let's do it! Give our combo attack a nice name, guys!"

"What about 'Lightning Fang'?" Snow asks, a broad grin spreads through his face.

At first I wanted to laugh at his simple, straightforward idea. It is a literal description of the attack, really. Lightning's attack combined with Fang's…. funnily enough, the attack does look like a fang formed from lightning bolts…

To my surprise, Fang laughs as well, slapping Snow's back. "Lightning Fang. I like it!"

"Whatcha think, Light?" Fang asks, turning to give Light an ear-to-ear grin. "Agree with the 'Lightning Fang' name? Or does it sound too couple-like for ya?"

"Shut up," Lightning hisses, turning abruptly to glare at Fang. "I don't care about names after all." Lightning turns away, shaking her head. "Whoots, blushing, Light?" Fang continues teasing, smiling mischievously. Lightning growls dangerously, turning her death glare yet again at Fang, who only laughs even louder.

"Alright, Fang, enough teasing her already!" Vanille giggles, pulling Fang away from Light. "Don't you have something to tell her?"

Immediately Fang turns serious. She approaches Lightning, who simply stares at her coldly. Without further ado, she inclines her head slightly to Lightning. "I'm sorry, Light. I'm sorry, for hurting you that badly."

Lightning's eyes widen slightly in surprise. Then the slightest hint of a smile appears on her lips, and she shakes her head. "No big deal… at least I'm okay now."

Fang lifts up her head, grinning at Lightning. "Whoa, that was fast! No slaps this time?"

"You sure better hope so," Lightning says exasperatedly.

"So, Light! How are you? Are you fully healed? How? What did you do? And how can you master Wrath of Heavens at such a short time?" Vanille asks repeatedly, causing Hope to laugh softly.

Lightning groans, obviously reluctant to answer such a long string of questions. "Nothing much. I did what Fang said… rest. While resting, I had much time to concentrate, think and somehow I could understand more about Wrath of Heavens when I'm calm. Heh, ironic, since that attack initially came from anger…"

"Oooooh! So, so! When did you try using it for real?"

"Umm, just a few days ago, actually…"

Vanille gasps, before chuckling. "Did you come up with the idea of Lightning Fang at that time as well?"

"Idea of what!" Lightning frowns, obviously still not used to the ridiculous name Snow and Fang have bestowed upon the technique. "Oh, umm, I mean yes," she immediately answers after she realizes what Vanille was talking about.

"Ha ha, you really are smart, Light! How did you come up with it?"

"Vanille, is this the last question already?" Lightning groans. Vanille giggles, nodding repeatedly. Lightning starts again reluctantly, "Well… When I saw Wrath of Heavens striking down, so powerfully… it kinda reminds me of…"

"Me, right?" Fang cuts her, grinning smugly.

"Not you, your Highwind!" Lightning snarls back.

"Geez, that hurt, Light! You mean you are more interested in an attack technique than me?" Fang says, feigning deep disappointment.

"Anyway," Lightning ignores her, continuing to answer Vanille's question, "It reminds me of Highwind, so I thought that if we can combine them it would be a powerful attack… So I… uh, train harder to ensure it's safe to be combined with Fang's attack."

"Ooooh, and how did you train?" Fang asks.

"Nothing much… Just by aiming my attack on a Gorgonopsid standing among its pack, ensuring only that one is hit by the spell."

Fang nods, muttering "impressive."

"Alright, now let's check you out, Light!" Vanille suddenly says cheerfully.

"What!"

Of course Lightning freaks out. Vanille simply giggles. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it that way! I mean, let me check your wound! We've gotta ensure it is indeed fully healed, right?"

Huffing, Lightning unclasps her overcoat and lets Vanille check her wound. It is still bright red in color, but at least it's closed completely. Vanille applies some pressure on it, and nods in satisfaction when Lightning doesn't react. "Yay! You're healed, Light!" she clasps her hands together happily, before giving Light a quick hug that she just replies with an embarrassed smile.

Fang laughs, seeming as relieved as every one of us upon seeing Lightning's wound has closed fully. "Well done, Light! See, resting does help!" she says happily, patting Lightning's back.

"So… what have you guys been doing?" Lightning asks.

"Going around the Steppe, chasing Behemoths, that's all!" Sazh answers. "Not very interesting."

"We finished them off easily! There wasn't even any serious casualty," Snow adds, beaming proudly.

"Right, except on that time when you fell headfirst trying to ride a Chocobo," Fang reveals sadistically.

"Hey!" Snow protests, frowning at Fang. "That Chocobo suddenly ran, okay! It wasn't my fault!"

"Excuse me? Didn't you know that it's extremely stupid to try riding a Chocobo from behind? Of course it got startled and ran away!" Fang scoffs. Snow just grins sheepishly on this, drawing our laughter.

* * *

><p>We keep chitchatting casually while we eat an early dinner, until finally night falls completely. There is no moon tonight, but there are many stars shining brightly. Hope is talking to Lightning, telling her everything about what we've been doing since we left her. Then suddenly Hope yawns, followed by Vanille. Fang smirks at this. "Alright, shall we sleep early tonight? Tomorrow we still have to hunt the last few Behemoths! Wouldn't want to be sleepy, yea?"<p>

Everyone nods in agreement and starts to rise, but I realize that Fang is glancing at me. I feel uneasiness begins to creep within me, since I know what that glance mean. I would have to face Light soon… I've been trying to avoid it all this time, I haven't even talked to her directly since we met up… because I am scared. I know I have to apologize, like Fang, but…

"Alright, go and sleep everyone! After all, I'm sure some of us… eh, have a few unfinished business to talk about in private," Fang says, winking at me. The others seem to understand her heavy hint (of course), except Snow. He seems confused, but luckily doesn't protest when Sazh drags him away to light up the campfire. Soon, everyone has scattered to their usual sleeping spots. Of course, since today has indeed been tiring.

Slowly, I glance at the person who is still standing silently beside me, watching the others. Lightning looks so solitary and unapproachable, yet she is still standing here with me… she doesn't leave to sleep like the others. Finding courage from this subtle sign, I walk closer and sit down beside her, against a large tree, before looking up to see her reaction. Lightning stands quiet for a while, before finally huffing and sits down beside me, turning her face away. I know she is feeling as awkward as I am.

_Uuugh, what am I doing? Why can't I just apologize already! _I scold myself mentally. I really want to make up… but…

A sudden 'hey' from beside me almost gave me a heart attack. Turning in surprise, I meet Lightning's eyes, who has turned as well to look at me. She immediately averts her gaze, seemingly unable to find her words. She's never been good with words… Deciding I have to speak up right now, heck cares the outcome, I open my mouth.

However, both of us speak at the same time. "Sorry…"

I raise my eyebrows in surprise, while Lightning simply blinks. We open our mouths again at the same time, and close it again. I couldn't help but laugh at her confused expression. Placing my finger gently on her lips, I make up my mind.

"Light, geez, you always think everything is your fault… lighten up!" Lightning just rolls her eyes at my stupid pun. "Please don't apologize, sis… You've done nothing wrong!"

Not wanting to waste this chance, I immediately just blurt it out.

"I'm sorry, sis… I was wrong to say those words to you… really, they are untrue! I only said them to anger you, you are not a burden, you are not selfish, you are not—"

I stop abruptly, surprised, when Lightning's finger touches my lips, silencing me.

"Now it's my turn to silent you," Lightning says, a soft smile plays at the corner of her lips. "You think too much. Don't worry, it's fine."

I am stunned for a while, before laughing and punch her shoulder playfully. "Figures," I comment, chuckling at her typical 'fine' answer.

"Hey, that doesn't mean you can keep repeating that," Lightning says. "Next time you dare to talk to me like that, I'll…"

"Come on, Light, you know you won't do anything bad to me! You love me too much… don't you?" I cut her threat, giving her my best puppy eyes. Lightning groans in annoyance. "Don't push your luck," she says softly.

I exhale in relief, smiling. Well, that went better than I thought! Lightning is always scary when she is mad, of course, but she always forgives me… eventually. I'm just glad that she's recovered. That wound has been causing so much trouble, but now it is no more! I'm so relieved… Now Lightning wouldn't have to be in pain all the times anymore…

But then suddenly a thought passes my mind and I turn somber again. Sensing my change of mood, Lightning turns to look at me questioningly. I return her gaze. Without waiting for her to say anything, I say the words that I've been wanting to tell her for some time.

"You know why I insisted on you staying back, Light?"

"Hmm?" Lightning frowns, clearly not expecting me to bring up this subject again. But, I really need to tell her this… Taking in a deep breath, I speak up.

"I just… I just cannot risk you getting hurt further… not even any small risk…"

Lightning huffs upon hearing this. She sits back, looking up at the stars before turning her attention back at me. She seems to be having a difficulty choosing her words. I let her be, waiting patiently for her to find the right words that she wants to say. After a while, she looks back at me.

"Serah, I'm sorry too… You were right, I wasn't fine… but… that time, I just wanted to go with you guys because I cannot stand letting you off my sight anymore… especially since I know you were going on a hunt… a dangerous one… I can't… I just don't want you to get hurt."

I smile upon hearing this. Typical Lightning…

"Light, I know it's your nature all along… I know that you have the kindest, most selfless of heart… and I am grateful for having a sister like you… but, y'see, you have to think more of your own welfare as well. Be honest to yourself… if you are not fine, just say it! Because… I love you… I don't want you to get hurt as well. And I really don't want to… lose you."

It's the truth, really. My biggest fear is losing Lightning… my sister… my only family. Especially, I fear that one day, she might die fighting… Like what almost happened during her fight with Yojimbo that time. I shudder at the memory, but quickly try to get it out of my mind.

"Serah, that time I was scared you might get hurt in the hunt. I couldn't stand the thought!" Lightning replies me sharply. "I wanted to go with you so I can watch over you. I don't want to… I can't…" she hesitates for a while, suddenly looking so… fragile. I want to hug her, to calm her down… but then she looks up again at me. Her blue eyes are now deep with sorrow. "…I can't imagine living without you."

I stare at her, surprised. This is the first time, Lightning speaks about something like this... Usually she always thinks about my needs, always putting her own after mine… Not that I like it, by the way. I keep telling her to look after herself better, but she always ignores me. I know she's always tried her best to cover up her emotions, to hide her needs so that she can be a strong figure I can depend on. Ever since our parents died…

When I was little I was so grateful for having a sister like her. The death of our parents has really affected us badly, but Lightning was the one who pulled herself together and remained strong for me. Had it not been for her, I wouldn't have been able to rise from my slump at that time. I was glad… Glad for having a strong figure like her to depend on that time. But now, I realize how much she's done and sacrificed for me. I want her to be happy too… I want to help her, to make her happy like what she's done to me. I listen to Lightning closely, although I really want to calm her down; knowing she still has something else to say. I rest my hand gently above hers.

"Serah, I couldn't let anything happen to Fang, Vanille and the others, especially you... That's why I trained so hard… I wanted to regain my strength as soon as possible. I'd rather die trying, than staying idle and do nothing to protect you." Lightning throws her face away. I stare at her wide-eyed. Her words have surprised me, and soon I feel a wave of sadness washes over me.

"Lightning, I need you too…" I say softly to her, beginning to feel hot tears in my eyes, before they fall on my lap. Now I finally understand her plight… Why she has insisted so much on joining us… but still, it was dangerous for her! She could've injured herself further… I've gotta tell her this, I have to make her understand that we don't want her to get hurt too!

"I need you, sis… We all need you, that's why, we don't want you to get hurt trying to protect me! And that time, your wound was so severe… We were scared that you might die if you join us! If you die… then… I wouldn't know what to do…

"After that fight with Yojimbo, I really thought I'd lost you… Please, Light, don't let me feel that way again… Please, don't try so hard to protect me… I can only survive this long because of you. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to survive… and I'm sure the others need you too! That's why, will you take better care of yourself, Light? Don't get too reckless and have yourself hurt… Survive, so we can survive too… Will you do that? For me and the others?"

Lightning smiles sadly upon hearing my outbursts. "Heh, you're asking too much, Serah… What if one day I have to choose? I would obviously choose for your lives over your affection."

I look up at her, shocked. "Lightning Farron! Don't you dare think that way! I don't want you to do that, please! Please… don't do that! I'd hate you if you dare doing that!"

That sad smile never leaves her face. "Heh. I'd rather have you hating me… then seeing you get hurt or even worse, dead, Serah…"

"Lightning!" I can hear my own voice rising dangerously. By now the others have fallen asleep, but I can see Hope twitching in his sleep from my raised voice. I glare at Lightning, feeling my hand tightening on hers. How can she think that way? How can someone be… so selfless? Sadness fills my heart. _I'm… so lucky to be loved by someone like her… She doesn't even mind being hated, if that can save us… _I shake my head in anger. _But she can't do that! I don't want to lose her either… I don't want her to have to do that! _I can feel my entire body tremble in anger and sadness as my hands move up to clutch Lightning's arm. "Please, Light…" I say with trembling voice. "Please, don't do that…"

To my astonishment, Lightning smiles. She shakes her head, before pointing out two fingers and gives my forehead a gentle push. "Alright, Serah, stop crying… Don't worry, I'll protect you… and try to protect myself as well… Satisfied?"

I still glare at her, brushing my sore forehead, but her relaxed smirk slowly gets into me as well. I huff, knowing that this is the best I can get out of her.

"You sure?" I ask her skeptically. "You said it yourself, it's too much…" I remind her.

Lightning just shrugs. "It wouldn't do anyone any good if I die and can't help anymore right? Looks like I'd have to take care of myself, so I can always be by your side, little crybaby."

Laughing, I punch her arm playfully. I still disagree of her too-selfless reasoning, but coming from Lightning, I'm sure it was the best I can get. Especially since she's promised to take better care of herself… Yet I will not just leave it that way. I won't let things be this way. Looking up at Lightning again, I say to her,

"I want to help you too, Light. You're my only family, I want to do something to help you as well. I want to…. reduce your need of protecting me!" I grin at her. "You'll see, Light, I'll get strong too! So you won't have to protect me all the times! Ok?" I end it by giving her my thumbs-up.

Lightning simply shrugs. "I guess that's fair… and with things in complete mess for us like this, it may be useful if you are stronger. Who knows what may happen in the future…"

The way she talks disturbs me, but since she's taken my suggestion easily despite my expectation of her arguing back, so I just grin.

"Hey Serah… just don't push yourself too hard, okay? I still don't want you to get hurt."

"He he, sure!"

"So how are you planning to get stronger?" Lightning asks, rising her eyebrow.

"Umm, y'see, Light, I've been thinking of getting myself a weapon… something like your gunblade." I answer her, feeling a little embarrassed upon admitting my rough idea. "Maybe we can find something useful in the ruins of Haerii Acreopolis? We're going there anyway, for hunting the last few Behemoths... but the thing is, I don't know what weapon I want…"

Lightning nods, looking to be deep in thoughts. "Let me think on that. For now, let's just rest, okay?"

I grin, giving her a big hug. "Okay!"

With that, we stand up and walk to our usual sleeping spots. Fang groans and mumbles something about decapitating a Fal'cie using Lightning Fang as we walk past her. Lightning scoffs, while I giggle softly. After that, all I can remember is that I lay down beside Lightning, relieved for feeling her presence beside me again… her presence that always makes me feel safe.


	24. Chapter 24

Primarch Dysley sits back on his throne. All around him, PSICOM soldiers stand guard, weapons in hand. Here at Eden, the Primarch tends to the needs of the Cocoon citizens, consulting the fal'Cie Eden for guidance from time to time. Or so the people think.

Unbeknownst to the people, the Primarch is actually the fal'Cie Barthandelus, and he has been plotting to destroy Cocoon and sacrifice all their souls in order to summon back the Makers… the deities that have created the world, the people, the fal'Cie, everything; yet departed this world and left both humans and fal'Cie orphans. To summon them back is the purpose of all fal'Cie, despite they work towards this purpose in their own way and pace. Some fal'Cie, like Atomos at Mah'habara, is satisfied with digging tunnels underground in the hope of finding the Makers. Yet there are those fal'Cie who are more desperate in their struggle and are willing to sacrifice humankind to achieve it. And that fal'Cie is Barthandelus.

Longing to be reunited with the Makers and hoping for them to renew this world to a better one, he aims to call them back to this world. And that demands sacrifice. Millions of lives have to be diminished in order for the Makers to be summoned back, and those lives will be of the people of Cocoon. Despite he has been nurturing them for eons, yet Barthandelus doesn't feel the least bit of regret nor hesitation in killing them all. All that matters to him is to call the Makers back. In those long years, Barthandelus has been waiting for the perfect moment to execute his plan, waiting for the right people to appear in this world to serve him. This is because he cannot kill the Cocoon citizens by himself; the Makers have created him as a fal'Cie to nurture the humans, and it would be against his nature to kill them by himself.

Thus, he needs the right people to be coerced upon with his whim.

Finally, after waiting for so long, those people appear. Lightning Farron, Serah Farron, Oerba Yun Fang, Oerba Dia Vanille, Hope Estheim, Sazh Katzroy and Snow Villiers. He has made them all l'Cie, bound them with a Focus to destroy Cocoon lest they turn Cie'th. All the l'Cie he has created before have been given various Focus that aid to this seven particular l'Cie's Focus. And all of them have served him, or at least try to serve him to a certain extent, out of fear of turning Cie'th. All those long centuries spent plotting and waiting patiently for these seven l'Cie…

Yet to his fury the seven l'Cie have defied the Focus given to them. Defying fate… He has known all along that these people are special, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen them to carry out the ultimate Focus of destroying Cocoon. Yet he has never considered them to be this difficult to control. Not only do they defy their Focus, they even go as far as to trying to kill him, their fal'Cie! And exactly because of that, they have proven their humanity, scorching their l'Cie brands and halting its progress. Now they can no longer turn Cie'th. They no longer have anything to fear for not completing their Focus. And now they are going to try to eliminate _him._

Barthandelus chuckles quietly as the thought comes to him. The temerity, the confidence of these people! Do they really think mere humans like them can defeat him? Not in a million years. He is far stronger than them, and with his regenerating ability, he is almost invincible.

At least, that was what Barthandelus was thinking until some time ago. But now, he begins to worry. The l'Cie have acquired Lindzei's sword, the Fafnir. It is the only weapon in the world that can negate his regenerating ability, the only one that can actually pose a threat of death to him. And those cursed l'Cie have it. Barthandelus' wrinkled hands clutch into fists as he thinks of this.

Curse all those l'Cie. Why are they so determined to save this filthy world? Where do they find the strength and courage to defy their destiny and to keep trying to change their fate? Troublesome lot.

Barthandelus sighs. Gesturing to one of the soldiers, he orders him to get a memory screen, a device that stores up images and other data in the form of holographic screens. Once the device is delivered to him, he dismisses the soldiers in his throne room before turning it on and glances at the first face that appears on the screen. It is the face of a blond man, grinning confidently.

Snow Villiers. He is a confident man, optimistic, loyal and he has a powerful physique. However, he is not much of a threat. He is too reckless, naive and overconfident, charging into any battles whenever given the right provocations. He can be eradicated easily enough. No problem.

_Click._

Next comes the face of a man with dark skin and an afro. Sazh Katzroy, a former pilot. He is a fine gunman, perceptive and level-headed. In addition, his down-to-earth, careful way of thinking proves to be quite troublesome… He often comes up with sensible solutions to the problems he and his friends face. Yet his fighting abilities do not really require any special attention. He is not that strong. He can be eliminated quite easily in fierce battles. No problem.

_Click._

A boy's face with unruly silver hair appears. Hope Estheim, a boy left orphaned after the Purge. Barthandelus smirks. _We are all orphans, _he muses. _Orphaned by the same parents, the Makers… left alone in this sinful world, longing for the unlikely return of our parents… tell me, boy, don't you long to reunite with your parent again, deep in your heart, despite knowing its impossibility? _Shaking his head, Barthandelus begins assessing the boy's abilities. He is especially gifted in magic, the magical skills bestowed to him upon becoming a l'Cie seems to have enabled him to reach his real potential. He has become quite a powerful fighter, tougher and more confident, especially after the l'Cie's leader took him under her wing somewhere around the Vile Peaks or Gapra Whitewood. But he is still just a child, young and inexperienced. His mind and willpower can be weakened, especially if the painful memory of the death of his mother is used against him. With some planning, he would've been no problem.

_Click._

A pink-haired girl with a side ponytail, smiling softly. Serah Farron. She has been the first one to turn l'Cie, yet now here she is, defying her Focus. Luckily she is not that particularly strong in battles. Her magic might be strong, but that's all. The only problem is that she is intelligent, thoughtful and sensible. But those are not really useful feats in an all-out battle. She can be eliminated quite easily; with a battle fierce enough to overwhelm her and give her no time to use that sharp brain of hers to think of any escape routes or smart counter attacks. No problem.

_Click._

A smiling red-haired girl with pigtails. Oerba Dia Vanille. Barthandelus sighs. This is where the problem begins. This optimistic, hopeful girl has experienced becoming a l'Cie twice. And twice she messed up. Firstly, she failed to become Ragnarok, causing the failure of the destruction of Cocoon during the War of Transgression five hundred years ago. Now, secondly, she even defies her Focus completely. What a useless rascal. Despite all this, her magic is very strong, healing magic in particular. She has saved the lives of her friends a couple of times before with it. And she has such a strong willpower, hidden within her cheerful, little girl-like appearance. Often has she encouraged her friends to keep moving forward, 'holding on to hope' as how she puts it. Foolish child. Hope is nothing but an illusion… Once that illusion is shattered, what's left will only be despair. Yet this girl still insists on encouraging and pushing her friends forward; and now here they are, holding on to foolish hopes of saving their home and defeating him. Pretty troublesome. However, luckily this girl is not that strong in combat. Same as Sazh Katzroy and Serah Farron, she can be eliminated if thrown into a fierce battle. Still manageable.

_Click._

Barthandelus shakes his head as a picture of a tanned, wild-haired brunette woman appears on the screen. Oerba Yun Fang, Oerba Dia Vanille's friend that has become l'Cie twice like her. She is more useful than her partner, though. The first time, she has managed to turn into an incomplete Ragnarok. Her attack on Cocoon failed only because Oerba Dia Vanille refused to become Ragnarok with her. Barthandelus sighs. It had been so close…

Yet now at her second time, she defies her Focus like her partner. Moreover, she is a far more dangerous enemy than Dia Vanille, what with her strength and amazing fighting skills. She is even able to kill a Megistethorian solo and she has such a strong willpower that literally nothing stands in her way. Those feats were the reason of Barthandelus choosing her as a l'Cie to destroy Cocoon five hundred years ago. He longs to make someone that powerful his servant. Yet she has failed, and now he has to face her as a highly-experienced enemy. Luckily she has weaknesses. She is sometimes reckless, that's one. Secondly, he can use her strong bond with Oerba Dia Vanille to his advantage. Oerba Yun Fang would do anything to protect her family. If he plots his plans carefully, he might be able to coerce her into destroying Cocoon, just like five hundred years ago when she turned to Ragnarok in order to protect Dia Vanille. The fact that now she has more friends to protect actually adds on to his advantage over her. He may be able to manipulate her someday. She'd be a problem, but still manageable.

_Click._

Now _this _one is the real problem. The main reason Barthandelus fears his plans may crumble.

Lightning Farron.

An ex-sergeant from the Guardian Corps, her outstanding strength, fighting skills and intelligence have enabled her to pass through the ranks quickly. Added to this, she has a strong willpower to match Oerba Yun Fang's and a degree of stubbornness, defiance, fearlessness and strangely, altruism; that enable her to push herself, and her friends, way pass their limits and challenge their own fate. She has strong determination and reason for whatever she does. With all these feats, it is of little wonder her friends see her as their leader, despite the woman has never think of herself as one.

Barthandelus scowls as he remembers her shouting defiantly at him, "I'm no one's slave!" as she attacked him that first time. Curse that woman. Barthandelus only has the ability to fully regenerate at the maximum of five times, and she and her friends have made him lose two. He must tread carefully now, especially since they already acquired Fafnir. He has no doubt that this Farron woman would kill him at first chance.

Involuntarily, Barthandelus shudders as he meets the woman's ice cold glare from the screen. That determination, confidence and focused rage all directed at him… If only she bows down to his will, how much easier his job would have been! But she doesn't, and she has raised so much trouble for him since. Barthandelus clenches his teeth and fists even tighter, his eyes flaring with fury as he remembers all the sufferings he has had to endure because of her. He loathes her; he wants to kill her so badly! He wants to tear her body into shreds, he wants to splatter her blood on the ground for the monsters to drink, and mostly, he wants to see her writhes in pain.

Yet he can't do it. Barthandelus has always been a strategist; he understands potentially useful tools. Despite his hatred, he must accept the fact that Lightning Farron may still prove useful. She is a strong fighter, that's no doubt. And he's seen that she can be even more powerful when fighting to protect those she cares about, especially her sister… Serah Farron…

Barthandelus scoffs. Fighting for someone else is the most foolish thing to do in the world. He has been more than delighted when he found out that Lightning Farron has been badly wounded fighting Yojimbo, one of Lindzei's chosen guardians of Fafnir; seemingly in an attempt to protect her sister. He has hoped she died in agony, but somehow she actually survived and has seemed to recover fully by now. Of course, Barthandelus has considered attacking them while she was still recuperating, but he has altered that plan to a better one.

In order to achieve his goals, Barthandelus needs servants. But things have gone quite troublesome for him now, mainly thanks to that Farron woman for raising her friends all against him and defying their Focus. And now he is in danger of being eradicated. No, he must plot a new plan if he wants to achieve his goal and put those insolent l'Cie back into their proper place: beneath his feet.

And as things would go now, Barthandelus can no longer rely on his minions to settle this problem. No, he has to take matters into his own hands. He has to use his last resort. He still doesn't want to use it, but it seems there's no other choice.

Barthandelus rises from his throne. As he lifts up his hand, a silver owl flies down from the high ceiling and lands on his wrist.

"Mnerva," Barthandelus smirks. "Time to execute our plan." Hooting, the owl flies away, ahead of Barthandelus to leave the throne room.

Barthandelus laughs quietly to himself. It's true that the plan he is about to carry out has its own risks, it may even make him lose another full regenerating chance… But he is willing to take that risk, since if this plan is successful, then he would surely be able to achieve his goal. _Pitiful l'Cie, I shall annihilate all your hopes now. It is you who shall be eradicated, along with the rest of Cocoon._

And this time, he would use all the advantages he has to defeat the l'Cie. Especially Farron. Sure, her sister and friends may be the source of her strength, but it can also be a weakness as well.

* * *

><p>Yaawwwnn~<p>

Everyone still looks sleepy and groggy when Lightning and Fang wake us up. Today we're going to leave for Haerii Acreopolis and we've decided to make it our next base camp, since it surely still has some habitable buildings. Without much talking, we eat breakfast before starting to pack up. I help Vanille and Sazh with the food supplies and leave the rest to the others. After everything's done, we stand up and start to make our way towards the Acreopolis. A quick glance to my left enables me to see Snow is carrying Lindzei's sword.

Come to think of it, I've never really paid much attention to the sword since we obtained it. There were much more important and urgent matters then… Trying not to think about them, I observe the sword. It is more or less twice as big as Lightning's gunblade, both in length and width. I've carried it before, and surprisingly, it is not heavy for a sword its size. And despite the horrible experiences surrounding our attempt to obtain it, I must admit that the sword is beautiful. It has an elegant golden hilt shaped like a dragon's head, with its jaws opened in a fierce roar—from where the blade emerges. However, the feat that mesmerizes me the most is the blade itself. It is straight and thick without much design, but it is made up of some strange material I've never seen before. It is as hard as any steel, yet almost transparent like a glass. If it's not because of the light being refracted as it passes through the blade, then the blade might as well be called invisible.

Then suddenly Snow shifts his grip on the hilt and I can see something engraved on it.

"Hey, Snow, can I see the sword for a second?" I call out to him.

"Eh? Yeah, sure. Here, catch th—"

I was a little shocked when he made a movement to throw the sword to me, but I soon huff in relief when Lightning grabs his wrist, stopping him from throwing it.

"What kind of idiot throws a SWORD?" Lightning bellows, snatching the sword from Snow's hand. "You think you'd like it if I throw my gunblade at your head?"

"Sorry, sorry! I wasn't thinking," Snow hurriedly apologizes. I can see Hope is trying to smother a chuckle upon seeing Snow squirming under his mentor's glare. Surely enough, if Lightning decides to throw her gunblade at Snow, he would've lost at least one limb. Or his head altogether.

"Clearly you didn't," Fang adds, approaching Light who is still glaring at Snow dangerously. "Chill, Light," Fang says to her, resting her elbow casually on Lightning's shoulder. Grinning at me, she adds, "Besides, I'm sure Serah there would've dodged if Snow really threw the sword at her. She's getting pretty good in dodging lately, yea?"

Sighing, Lightning shrugs off Fang's arm and passes the sword to me. Smiling in gratitude, I accept it and begin observing the hilt.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Serah?" Vanille asks, tilting her head at me.

"Oh, nothing, I just think I saw something on the hilt… "

Unable to find the engraving anymore, I try turning the sword around. Yet nothing happens… until I begin thinking that I've seen wrongly and move to pass the sword back to Snow.

That's when sunlight happens to hit the hilt and the engraving appears again, right along the dragon's neck.

"Guys, it's here!" I point at the hilt, and the others gather closer to see it. Tilting the sword a little, we can see some strange letters engraved on the surface of the dragon's neck, which can only be seen as they glow bright orange when sunlight hits them. I don't understand the letters, but maybe Fang or Vanille does?

"It's ancient Pulsian," Fang says, frowning. "I can't read it… how bout you, 'Nille? You liked to study ancient languages, right?"

"Lemme see!" Vanille says cheerfully before taking the sword from my hand. After studying the writing for a while, her face brightens and she looks up triumphantly. "It reads 'I am Fafnir'!" she says.

"'Fafnir'? The sword's name?" Sazh asks, squinting at the writing.

"Is there any other engraving?" Hope asks, tip-toeing to look past Sazh's shoulder.

We observe the sword one more time, more thoroughly this time. But there's nothing else we find except a strange symbol engraved within the blade, between the dragon jaws-shaped guard—in the shape of a blazing sun. However it gives us no useful clue, so we dismiss it to be a regular symbol.

"Y'know, it's kinda hard to believe this sword actually has the power to slay fal'Cie," Sazh says skeptically. "I mean, it looks like a regular old sword to me."

Lightning huffs in annoyance. "Let's just get moving," she says before striding away, sending us hurrying after her.

Sazh is right, though. The Fafnir doesn't seem to have any special quality that enables it to kill any fal'Cie. Sure, it is beautiful and sharp, but that's nothing Lightning's gunblade can't match. I really hope that Fafnir isn't a fake… because if it is, then our struggle to obtain it would have been for nothing.

I shake my head. No, I've heard that there are some weapons which only showcase their full strength when they are used against certain enemies. In this case, it would be the fal'Cie… Sighing, I can only hope that Fafnir will also showcase its notorious ability when we face Barthandelus.

* * *

><p>We have been walking for the whole morning, and after catching our lunch we are now nearing Haerii Acreopolis. We should arrive by sunset…<p>

Looking up, I can see the enormous Titan in the distance, walking around slowly. Despite the Faultwarrens, Titan's lair, is still so far away, yet we can already see him due to his mountain-sized body. I can only be thankful that it's not Titan we are supposed to defeat. Even if Fafnir really is a fal'Cie slayer sword, it still looks like a toothpick as compared to Titan's gigantic form. Still, we are not even sure whether Fafnir can actually live up to its reputation or not…

My train of thoughts is stopped when Snow suddenly calls out to us.

"Hey, guys… I think you should look at this!"

He is pointing at Fafnir, and I can see that something looks different with it. All of us gather closer.

There, right in front of us, the Fafnir is changing. The sun symbol within its blade seems to be blazing more brightly, it almost seems like the sunrays are… moving?

"Whoa!"

Suddenly the sun flares, and a tongue of flame emerges from it, creeping like a snake towards the blade's tip. Shocked, we stare at each other in surprise.

"What the hell?" Fang says, frowning. "What's wrong with it?"

"Wait! There are letters now on the blade!" Hope notices, pointing at the blade. He's right, ancient letters are appearing along with the tongue of flame, burning their way across the blade which now shines bright orange with the flame within it. "What is it saying, Vanille?"

Vanille frowns at the blade, studying the letters carefully. "This is difficult… I cannot read some of them, but it is mainly saying something about… 'Turn falsehood to ashes'?"

"But why is that flame suddenly appearing?" Fang asks in confusion, frowning.

I frown too, thinking. _Why is Fafnir suddenly flaring? That flame… why hasn't it appeared before? What changes are present here and now, but not before?_

The answer comes to me when Titan roars and Fafnir flares again, releasing yet another tongue of flame.

Of course!

"Guys! This sword really is a fal'Cie slayer!' I tell the others enthusiastically.

"How so?" Lightning asks, folding her arms.

"See, ever since we obtained it we have never brought it close to any fal'Cie, that's why we never see its true ability! But now we are close to Titan, that's why I think Fafnir is reacting… See the flames? Maybe they will emerge from the sun as we get nearer to a fal'Cie, and give the blade the ability to actually kill them… and, 'turn falsehood to ashes'… I'm quite sure Fafnir is a Fire-element sword!"

"Hmm, makes sense," Fang mutters. "Heh, you really are a top student, Light's li'l sis!"

I can only grin at her, embarrassed. "How'd you know?"

"Nothing much, just that Light gets a bit chattier when Vanille asks her anything bout you. Ha! Who would've guessed that the solitary Lightning Farron would be willing to talk more when it comes to her li'l sis!" Fang laughs, throwing Light a wink that she returns with a slap on her shoulder.

"That's not what really happened," Lightning says in annoyance. "Fang's making it sounds way sappier."

Fang laughs, brushing her sore shoulder with a hand. "Just believe in whatever you want, guys," she says to us.

Chuckling, we continue moving towards the Acreopolis, while watching the Fafnir for any further changes. The flames keep appearing, flaring brighter and brighter as we walk nearer to Titan; but no other letters appear. The flames disappear back into the sun symbol when Titan is no longer within sight.

* * *

><p>We finally arrive at the Haerii Acreopolis, right as night falls. It is too late to begin searching for the Behemoths, so we just hunt for dinner before settling down in one of the dilapidated buildings. It is still quite nice, at least most if its walls are still standing and more or less three quarters of the roof is still in place. In fact, we even found a little lamb inside the building when we first arrived. Snow mentioned something about 'dinner' when he saw the lamb, and immediately got a storm of punches and angry protests revolving around 'cruelty' and 'as bad as cannibalism' from Vanille. Clearly Vanille strongly disagrees on preying upon anything cute and small. So we just ushered the lamb kindly out of the building, and it can still be seen wandering around now.<p>

Then, after everything's settled, we lie down and sleep, resting for tomorrow's exploration.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Fafnir is the name of a Fire Dragon ruler, who oversees the sunbeams and the other Dragons of Fire.**

* * *

><p>We begin exploring on the next day. However, the Acreopolis is quite vast, and we couldn't find either the Behemoths or any potential weapon for me. Lightning has told the others about it, and they promise to tell me if they find anything.<p>

"We're gonna end up spending days to explore this entire place!" Sazh points out, looking around in irritation at the surrounding buildings.

"You're right, old man," Fang says. "Say, wanna split up? Three teams to find three Behemoths?"

At first I didn't want to split into teams since that would reduce our strength, but after thinking deeper I begin to see the advantages. We would be able to cover more area by splitting up. Besides, there's little possibility that all the three Behemoths would gang up. And fighting a Behemoth will surely be easy to any of our split team, especially since we've gotten stronger lately.

Soon everyone agrees, and we begin splitting up the teams.

"Every team should have at least one Medic," Lightning points out.

"Right. So Hope, Vanille and Serah, you guys must split up," Fang gestures to us. "I wanna go with Vanille," she adds with an inarguable tone.

Lightning scoffs. "Then someone with brain's gotta go with this brute," she gestures at Snow, who grins sheepishly. "How about Serah?" he asks, turning his head towards me.

Lightning eyes him skeptically. "You sure you wouldn't do anything stupid that may harm her?" she asks aggressively.

"Light, come on, I can take care of myself…" I mutter to her, which is completely ignored.

"Don't worry, soldier. I'll go with them," Sazh decides, walking over to stand beside me and Snow. "I'll keep watch on the kids!"

Lightning sighs. "Alright, just be careful," she says, her eyes looking directly into mine.

"Right, so that'll leave… Light and Hope?" Fang asks.

"I'm fine with anyone," Lightning shrugs, while Hope mutters his agreement. Fang grins at him. "Just follow yer guiding light and you'd be fine, yea?"

Lightning sends Fang her sharp glare, before heading out with Hope hurrying after her. The rest of us nod to each other before splitting up with our respective teams.

* * *

><p>Hope feels nervous. He has never been completely alone with Lightning since the events at the Vile Peaks and Gapra Whitewood, and he fears she may turn cold to him again. He actually really wants to know her better… he wants to be able to chat freely with her, and maybe even tell her how grateful he is for her willing to be his 'mentor' in fighting. He glances sidelong at Lightning, who is walking beside him, her gaze shifting from one area to another as she scans the field. He hurriedly follows her example, scanning the area while keeping his pace fast but quiet. That's what he's learned from her at the Gapra Whitewood. She hammered those lessons about strategy into him, actually. And hell, Hope feels so honored that the mighty Lightning was willing to take him under her wing. Glancing again at her, secretly Hope feels some pride for finally being able to walk with Lightning without lagging behind her like that time when they first met. His legs have really gotten stronger; he's able to walk further and faster now. Thanks to Lightning, of course, for toughening him up.<p>

Hope recalls again that frightening moment at the Vile Peaks when Lightning finally snapped and was about to leave him alone, since he was being a liability… He had been so scared, imagining himself without the protection of the powerful soldier. He is sure he wouldn't survive if she really left him then.

Luckily for him, Odin has appeared just then. Lightning's loyal, almighty Eidolon. And after taming him, Lightning changed her mind and let him follow her.

Eidolons appear when l'Cie lose their will to live or cannot decide what to do next. That time at the Vile Peaks, Lightning indeed seemed to have been all set on leaving Hope behind. However, actually that's not what really happened. It is in Lightning's nature to always do whatever it takes to protect those she cares about, and sometimes those who are innocent. That time, Lightning actually cared about Hope. She was just so frustrated by their grim situation, she didn't want to get caught by those damn PSICOM. And the most logical thing to do to increase her chance of succeeding that time was of course to leave the liability kid behind. But at the same time, Lightning knew that the boy wouldn't survive if she left him. He was still so weak and helpless that time, and leaving an innocent kid behind unprotected, that would've been against her nature. Yet if she doesn't leave, he would just be a liability…

Lightning was torn between the options of staying and protecting Hope or leaving him and increasing her own chance of survival. The first option was what her heart tells her to do; it is her nature all along. But the second option is what her brain tells her to do, especially after all those military training that makes her used to basing her actions on survival logic. The predicaments had even made Lightning doubt herself, and in her despair Odin appeared. He appeared, to lend Lightning his strength so she can protect those she cares about without having to worry about them being a liability. But of course, while all this mental turmoil was happening, Lightning still kept her face stoic. To Hope, it only seemed like Lightning suddenly changed her mind about leaving him after Odin unexplainably appeared. And he was too relieved and grateful for it that time, that he didn't even try to think about why Odin appeared and Lightning changed her decision in the first place.

Lightning does have a gentle heart. But of course, she's not as blunt as Vanille in showing that, as Hope has seen. She isn't one to talk, she is one to act. And once she acts, even the goddess Etro can be sure that she'll give her all in it. Without saying anything, nor asking for anything in return… She really is selfless. She doesn't care whether what she does to help those she cares about goes noticed or not. No, she never asks for any gratitude or appreciation. In fact, she doesn't show her emotions much either… Always so stoic.

Meanwhile, Hope is getting more nervous by Lightning's silence. He can never get used to that habit of hers. He's more used to Vanille chitchatting all the times. Lightning, on the other hand, is always so quiet, stoic and she always hides her emotions. Even to the point that she doesn't want others to worry about her…

_But we also care about you, Light! _Hope protests in his mind. He hates it when Lightning gets hurt yet continues fighting, ignoring the pain and sometimes even unwilling to admit that she's in pain…

Like what's happened with Yojimbo.

Hope was dead scared at that time. He's always seen his mentor as invincible, and he's sure almost everyone does. She is very strong, and her stamina is ridiculously high… Seeing her like that, beaten up, bleeding and in pain… It only reminded him that there are way stronger monsters out there, and that he can't expect Lightning to always protect him. She's also human… and while she's much stronger than ordinary people, that fact only makes Hope more scared. As in, what kind of monster can hurt the powerful Lightning that badly? How fierce have they fought each other? And her stoic, foolhardy nature only worries him more. What if Lightning has been hurt badly during the fight yet kept pushing herself to fight? He knows she's been ignoring and holding in the pain during her recovery period. He's never heard her complain… Serah's always been the one to notice that Lightning is actually hurting, and takes actions to help her. Much to her dismay, of course.

When Lightning has been unconscious, Hope was terribly scared. He couldn't eat or sleep well, he was so worried for her. He was scared he might lose her… he was scared she may never wake up again. And he wouldn't get the chance to properly thank her. She's been so kind to him, and somehow she even reminds him of his mother. He really, really doesn't want to lose Lightning. He wants to help her, because he cares about Lightning, too; he wants to reply her for all the help she's given him… Yet her selfless and stoic nature just makes it extremely difficult. No wonder even Serah sometimes doesn't know how to deal with Light.

Like, right now… Who knows if her wound is still hurting? She says it's healed, and Vanille's confirmed it, but still… Hope throws a sidelong glance at Lightning's stomach. He can't see the scar from here, but he knows it's there. Bright red, gaping… It must've really hurt. Hope winces. He can't imagine if it was him that suffers such injury. He might've died… Or chose to die, what with all the pain. He really hopes that wound has stopped hurting Lightning now…

He sighs again, and feels Lightning eyeing him questioningly. He looks up and meets her gaze. Those azure eyes… He's seen them piercing cold like ice, or emotionless like frozen lakes… Yet now they only show concern. Deciding to just ask her directly, he speaks up.

"Are you really okay, Light? Is your wound… still hurting?

Lightning's eyebrows rise. Clearly she wasn't expecting that.

Hope was worried that she may get annoyed and ignores his question completely, but to his surprise he sees a hint of a smile on her face.

"I'm fine… It doesn't hurt anymore, Hope, don't worry," Lightning says.

Hope can feel his heart lighten since Lightning answers him without getting annoyed like he thought. But still, he's unconvinced…

"You sure?" he asks again.

Lightning huffs, seemingly starting to get annoyed. "Really, Hope, it doesn't hurt."

"Okay then…" Hope mutters, looking back at the road ahead.

SCREECH!

Suddenly, a Cie'th appears from behind a building. Hope jumps back, surprised. _Why hadn't we heard it approaching?_

The answer comes when Hope sees the wings on the Cie'th back. It's a Pijavica, a Cie'th capable of flying; that's why they haven't heard of its approach. Immediately taking a fighting stance, Hope glances around and ensures that there's only this one Pijavica around. Glancing at Lightning, he is on time to see her dashing forward.

"Back me up!" she shouts.

Without further ado, Hope sends multiple buffs at her. He wouldn't need to help her attacking the Cie'th, she is more than enough to eliminate it by herself. So after done casting buffs, Hope just watches as Lightning somersaults to avoid the Cie'th's claws, shooting its back in midair before changing her gunblade to its sword form as she lands. Darting forward, she slashes the monster's body and adds a Thundara spell. As the Cie'th falls dead, she flips back to avoid its body and twists in midair so that she can land perfectly on level ground instead of on a pile of rubbles.

"Easy," she scoffs, holstering her weapon.

Hope jogs towards her. He is always amazed by Lightning's fighting style. So fast… all those switching her weapon from gun to blade back and forth… and those twists and flips… If only he could do that! Gotta be useful in battles, to be able to move freely like that. But that surely needs extraordinary skills and strength… Glancing at Lightning, Hope can't help but notice her toned legs. She really is one magnificent fighter. That's why, he's seen her as his role-model even since the Vile Peaks. Hope wants to be strong like Lightning, that's why he trains so hard. When she took him under her wing, he's been so delighted and honored. He promised himself to try harder. He wants to get stronger… so he, too, can watch out for Lightning, like what he promised her at Palumpolum.

Still, Hope isn't even sure whether he's indeed gotten stronger. Of course, the others say so; but Hope still can't bring himself to believe them, fearing what they call 'stronger' isn't up to Lightning's standards. He only wants to be approved stronger by her… He wants her to be proud of him. It is his sole goal. Yet until now, Lightning has never told him anything about that. He knows it's unlikely that the stoic Light would say anything about it, but still…

Lightning continues walking, and Hope falls into step beside her. There's still one more thing he wants to ask her… But would that be too personal?

Shrugging, he decides to just ask her like earlier.

"Hey, Light… Can I ask you something?"

Lightning turns her head to him without saying anything. Knowing her, Hope knows that means 'Yeah, what?' so he just carries on.

"About your fighting style… why do you like to do all those somersaults and leaps? I mean,

aren't they difficult to execute at first? And why did you choose such a fast-paced fighting style?"

Lightning's unwavering gaze starts to make him feel uneasy. Moving his gaze away from her, he mumbles, "Umm, if you don't want to answer that then it's fi—"

"Feels so free."

Hope looks up, surprised. "Huh?" was his first reaction to Lightning's sudden answer.

"You heard me. It feels so free… I just like the feeling of freedom. Those leaps enable me to go wherever I want… And I like the feeling of the wind brushing against me, too. Almost like flying." She shrugs. "That's all."

Hope can feel a smile begins to spread on his face as he understands. "I see."

It's true, being able to jump around like that must've been fun… to be able to go wherever

you want… Serah is right, after all. Lightning really does like freedom.

Lightning shrugs. "But I don't recommend you use them, Hope. They just won't suit your boomerang."

Hope laughs. "Yeah."

Right, there's no way he can aim properly and throw his boomerang effectively if he is to do it while somersaulting… There just won't be enough time.

But after all, Hope feels happy. He's learnt more about Lightning today… somehow he's managed to get an answer from Lightning regarding her fighting style that has long intrigued him. Smiling to himself, he follows Lightning further into the ruins.

They are surely getting pretty far by now. The outer area of the ruins where they camp has few buildings, but this area has plenty of them, some even extremely high they block Hope's view of the sky. He looks at the dirty windows curiously, their dull, cracked glass barely reflecting light, like the eyes of a dead fish. He shudders at the thought, throwing his gaze somewhere else. But of course his eyes always meet the solemn windows whenever he looks, not to mention dark doorways with their wooden doors either completely wrecked or hanging miserably on their rusty hinges. Like the neck of a dead person… Hope shakes his head desperately, trying to get rid of the disturbing image. Seriously, if he keeps making comparisons like that, even the most normal thing can become something straight out from a horror movie.

However, he cannot really erase the images in his head and he only gets more and more scared as they move deeper and the buildings cluster closer together, making their surroundings dark. He wonders if there are ghosts around here…

_What the hell am I thinking! Why do I keep trying to scare myself! _Hope mentally chastises his brain. But still, the sudden whine-like noise made by the wind as it blows through the hallowed buildings manages to scare him again. Frightened, Hope moves closer towards Lightning, and immediately a feeling of safety surges into him. A glance at Lightning's direction enables him to see that the soldier is not the least bit disturbed by the eerie surroundings. She calmly observes the environment, her stride proud and purposeful. Hope feels his heart lightens at this sight. Right. Which ghost would dare to face Lightning? She'd make them twice as dead! Nothing would disturb him, as long as he stays with Lightning. Come to think of it, ghosts are not even real to begin with… If Lightning finds out that he's been freaked out by non-existent things like that, she may decide to give him a lesson or two about the absurdity of it. With her gunblade.

Smirking at his own stupidity, Hope banishes all the thoughts about ghosts as far as possible. He _was _used to believing ghosts as real when he was younger… Even to the point that he didn't dare to sleep alone and would always run to sleep with his mother at nights. That is, until his mother had a comforting talk with him about the unreality of ghosts. She even promised him that even if a ghost was to appear, she would banish it away before it can scare her precious son. Just like what Lightning would surely do if any ghost appears…

Feeling happier, Hope smiles faintly to himself and looks up. What he sees in front lifts up his mood even more. Right ahead, the cluster of buildings stops and gives way to what looks like a town square. He can see sunlight shining cheerfully, and walks faster towards it. He can hear by her footsteps that Lightning is following him walking faster as well.

_Clank._

That noise of a pebble falling makes Hope turn around quickly. Another Pijavica has appeared behind them, crawling under the shadows towards Lightning, who merely sighs in annoyance. It looks like the Cie'th tried to sneak up on them and attack from behind, but failed miserably when it accidentally kicked that previous pebble. "You call _that_ stealth?" Lightning shouts mockingly, drawing out her gunblade and rushes towards the Cie'th.

"I've got this!" she says to Hope.

"And I'll get this one!" Hope replies as he turns forward again and see yet another Pijavica blocking their way. He throws his boomerang at it, hitting its wing. Before it can even finish its screech of pain, he rushes forward and sends three Fire spell at its head, which kill it instantly.

Fist-pumping, Hope catches back his boomerang. He is now standing on top of a pile of rubbles, which gives him perfect view of the square ahead. The stones covering it are jutting out at places, and there is even a massive deep crack tearing through the ground, possibly from an earthquake or something. But at the centre of the square, right beside the crack he sees… is that what he thinks that is?

A smile spreads through Hope's face as he recognizes the wrecked machine lying in the middle of the square. It is a broken, dead Juggernaut, lying completely still in a pile. He's ridden its kind twice before, at the Vile Peaks and the Mah'habara. And he likes it! It felt so thrilling, even more fun than riding a velocycle. He always hopes to get another chance to ride one of those things again. Sadly, he can't say the same thing for Lightning though, as she always disagrees on him 'riding a stupid, fickle, murderous giant robot,' as how she puts it. Will she stop him from riding this one?

Glancing back, a wider smile spreads over Hope's face as he sees that Lightning is still occupied with two more Pijavicas that have appeared. Now's his chance!

Laughing, he dashes forward towards the machine as fast as his legs can carry him. He has quite a good chance to reach the machine without Lightning catching him, since he's got a head start from her. Oh yes, she'd be pissed, but Hope knows the worst she'd do to him is merely scolding him. And what's a few minutes of scolding as compared to the thrill in riding a Juggernaut again? Besides, he has never done any deliberate mischief like this in front of Lightning before. He's kinda curious to see how Lightning would react, and after all, it's typical for teenagers like him to be mischievous.

Lightning has just dispatched the last Pijavica when she hears Hope's laughter. Looking up, she sees him bolting away. Frowning, she quickly holsters her gunblade and dashes after him.

And sees what he's up to almost immediately.

That boy! He is running directly towards a Juggernaut, no doubt wanting to ride it like he did before. But he isn't even sure if that Juggernaut is really dead!

Growling in annoyance, Lightning chases after him.

"Hope! Don't you dare riding that thing! We don't even know if it's really dead!" Lightning shouts, her annoyance clearly showing in her tone. Which only makes Hope laugh. Which in turn makes Lightning even more irritated.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine!" Hope shouts over his shoulders. He has almost reached the machine by now, while Lightning is following quite a distance away from him. Seriously, Lightning is so irked by the boy's temerity in running off and ignoring her warning like that. If only he is a soldier under her in the Guardian Corps, she would've given him a whole set of punishments that would make him cry all the way as he apologizes. Doesn't he know how dangerous it is if the Juggernaut is still alive?

"Hope! You better stop there right now! You're gonna hurt yourself!"

Hope hears Lightning's shout takes on a dangerous edge, and he couldn't help but to look back. He sees a threatening sight of Lightning running after him, scowling dangerously; yet strangely it only makes him chuckle. _Light is being too paranoid, _he thinks. _That Juggernaut isn't moving despite all the commotion, surely it's dead!_

Waving at her, he shouts again, "It'll just take a few minutes!" before looking back at the giant machine ahead. The sight of that familiar machinery sends thrilling adrenaline pumping through his veins. How he longs to play with it again! But of course, now he still has Light to avoid. Subconsciously, he senses a pleasant feeling of dé jà vu as he runs. Running away from someone for the sake of pulling off a simple mischief like this, it really reminds him of his times with his mother… He used to enjoy teasing her and sometimes pull on a bunch of mischiefs that made her so irritated she would scold him to no end. There was even one time so much like now in which he ran away from his mother, trying to climb a tree for the first time. She had chased after him, shouting angrily as well, but he ignored her and just climbed. At the end of the day, though, there was really nothing to worry about. He climbed the tree successfully, without getting hurt at all. And he felt so happy doing it. Really, his mother was just overly-worried.

A sudden roar pulls Hope back to the present immediately.

"Hope! DON'T TOUCH THAT! What if it's still alive? You can get hurt!" Lightning roars.

_Etro, she's almost here!_ A sudden paroxysm of fear hits Hope, which only makes him run faster. Finally reaching the Juggernaut, he begins climbing to its back. When Hope is sure that he's gonna make it, he laughs in triumph. "I'll be fine!" he shouts absentmindedly without turning back, concentrating to scurry higher onto the machine. "You're worrying too much! I'll be perfectly okay, Mom!"

You can hear a pin drops in the awkward silence that follows immediately.

Hope realizes his mistake when Lightning's thunderous footsteps stop awkwardly, and he can feel his face going bright red in embarrassment. _What did I just call her…?_

The good thing is, he is saved from the obligation of explaining his mistake when the Juggernaut suddenly moves fiercely, sending him tumbling on its back. But the bad thing is, that only proves the Juggernaut is still alive and that he is currently in a deep trouble.

"Whoa!" Hope shouts as the Juggernaut shakes its body angrily, trying to fling him off its back. Hope desperately fumbles to find anything he can cling to, but the only dent he might probably cling to is lying out of reach.

"Hang in there, Hope!"

Feeling a surge of relief, Hope looks up and sees Lightning running full tilt towards him.

His relief is short-lived, however, when the iron monster bangs its heavy arms on the ground, the impact causing him to lose whatever grip he's managed to hold on to. Without giving him any chance to recover, the Juggernaut shakes its body violently, sending Hope flying off its back, screaming. He hears Lightning's angry shout, but before he can look at her, he already finds himself about to lunge into a deeper trouble. Literally.

The Juggernaut has flung Hope right towards the deep crack in the ground, and he can only flail his arms in the air desperately as he falls back-first straight into the massive dark hole.

"Tch!" Lightning curses as she sees Hope disappearing into the crack. _I hope that crack is deep…_ she thinks before running straight towards it, not forgetting to send the damn Juggernaut a Waterga into which she channels her irritation.

Without glancing back to check whether the spell kills the Juggernaut or not, Lightning jumps headfirst into the hole, kicking the edge forcefully to add on her speed as she lunges after Hope. She can see him now, flailing his arms as he falls, his back first. Beneath him… she can already see faintly the bottom of the crack. And even though it's still quite a distance, yet Lightning wouldn't make it to Hope before he hits the bottom at this rate. Thinking fast, she quickly throws her arms behind her and casts Fira.

Hope, meanwhile, has seen Light too. He feels so relieved upon seeing her coming for him. If there is anyone who can make him feel completely safe in any situation, that person is Light. Really, even merely seeing her determined, composed face is enough to calm him. Not to mention the fact that she is extremely strong, smart and skilled.

Meanwhile, the backwards force of the Fira spells has propelled Lightning forward, enabling her to catch up with Hope and grabs him by the waist. Hope feels her shoulder making contact with his midriff before her strong right arm coils around him sternly. Not wasting any more time, Lightning quickly grabs her grav-con unit from her leg pouch with her left hand, and throws it straight ahead of them.

They hit the bottom before the grav-con unit completely activates, and hence some of their impact force still hits them. Dust and pebbles scatter around them, sending both Lightning and Hope coughing. As though all this isn't enough, suddenly they feel the earth trembles and a loud boom echoes through the air. The Juggernaut has jumped into the crack as well, chasing them.

Lightning snarls angrily. Ignoring the dizziness and pain from falling, she quickly grabs Hope's arm and drags him away from the Juggernaut, right when one of its heavy arms slams onto the ground where the two of them have been sitting before.

"We've gotta climb up, Hope!" Lightning says to him sternly, beginning to assess the walls surrounding them with the help of the sunbeams that enter.

Hope's jaw drops a little. He knows it's the most logical thing to do in order to escape the Juggernaut, especially since fighting is clearly out of the options as it may cause the entire place to collapse and bury them alive. So the only option left is to run away by climbing, since the iron monster clearly cannot climb up to chase them. But it is such a long climb… Moreover…

"But what if it shoots us?" Hope asks nervously.

"That's why we've gotta climb quietly," Lightning hisses back, dragging him deeper into the shadows. Juggernauts have bad eyesight, this particular one not exempted. It is already moving about clumsily now, trying to locate them.

This may be their only chance. Without further ado, Hope grabs a rock jutting out from the wall and begins to haul himself up. He can sense Light climbing up beside him as well, without making any noise.

* * *

><p>After climbing for a while, the real trouble begins for Hope. His arms start to ache, his breathing ragged, and he barely has the strength to haul himself up. Looking upwards, he can see the light above, yet it still looks quite far away. To make matters worse, Light has gone pretty far ahead of him by now, and she doesn't seem to have any problem climbing. He can only envy her for her strength and stamina. But he also doesn't want to disappoint Light, so he forces himself to keep his ragged breathing quiet and keep climbing despite his arms are screaming protests, begging him to rest.<p>

Lady Luck really isn't on their side. Out of exhaustion, Hope's mind becomes fogged and he inadvertently steps on a brittle rock. Realizing his mistake, he quickly moves on to another foothold but it was too late. All his effort to stay quiet goes for naught as a pebble drops from the wall. He sees Light glancing back at him, frowning as she locks her gaze at the falling stone. He does the same thing, and to his horror he sees the stupid stone falls perfectly on the Juggernaut. Which immediately turns at their direction.

"Hurry! Climb up!" Light's stern voice snaps Hope back into his senses. He begins climbing feverishly, imagining the Juggernaut hot on their heels.

"Ah!"

In his hurry, Hope becomes careless. His feet slip, and the next thing he knows is he loses his foothold and begins to slide down, fast.

Lightning turns her face around upon hearing Hope's yelp, and sees him sliding down towards the waiting Juggernaut below, feet kicking desperately trying to find a hold.

"Damn," she curses through gritted teeth before releasing her handhold, sending herself sliding down after Hope.

Hope has thought that he may end up falling right in front of the iron monster, perfect for it to stomp on him; when he suddenly feels Light's hand grabbing his forearm, stopping his fall abruptly. Glancing up, his heart lurches as he sees Light is in a dangerous condition as well. She is only holding on to a jutting rock with one hand, struggling to support both of their weights. Her feet are dangling precariously, not having any foothold. Hope knows that their lives are at dangerous position now, and immediately tries to find a handhold himself so as to ease Light's burden.

To his horror he finds none.

He glances up in panic, seeing Light gritting her teeth as she struggles to hang on. Her arm muscles all tensed, Hope even sees her arm begins to shake. _No!_

But then, Light's eyes twinkle dangerously and she looks down at Hope. He knows that look. She has a plan, and that's not one hundred percent safe. He listens tentatively.

"Hope, I'll swing you to your left! See that rock jutting out there? Hang on to it!"

Hope gulps. Can Light really swing him that far, without falling? Yet he has seen her doing things he had considered impossible, and succeeded… So he chooses to believe her. Nodding, he prepares himself.

Without further ado, Lightning tightens her only grip on the rock wall, despite her muscles begin to feel like tearing. Grunting, she swings Hope to the left. Once, twice, thrice…

"Now!"

With that, Lightning releases her grip, and Hope reaches out his arms. He crashes onto the wall directly beside the jutting rock, and his hand immediately flails to grab it. To Lightning's relief, he succeeds. He even finds a foothold there. Back to her own problem, Lightning forces out the remaining strength left in her arm to haul herself up. As she moves upwards, her other hand immediately reaches out and grabs another handhold, one that she hadn't been able to reach with Hope weighing her down. Huffing, Lightning uses the two handholds to continue climbing and thankfully meets a foothold a little further up. Hope is now already ahead of her, looking back down at her with worry darkening his eyes.

"Go!" Lightning whispers to him, gesturing for him to continue climbing. And thus they continue climbing.

* * *

><p><em>I can't do this,<em> Hope thinks as he feels his limbs trembling uncontrollably. They have been climbing for only a while, but to him it feels so long. Every haul, every step he makes really sap his energy. He is breathing fast now, and even he can hear that his breathing is trembling. A continuous wave of pain begins to creep through his arms, making them numb. He wants nothing but to just stop, lie down and rest! But of course he can't do that now… The Juggernaut it still after them… And that thought only makes his aching limbs tremble more. He can't take this much longer. He stops.

Ahead of him, Hope can see Light stopping and looks down at him.

"What's wrong, Hope? C'mon, we've got to move fast, that Juggernaut is still looking for us…" she whispers, frowning.

"I'm… tired…" Hope wheezes, his hands shaking even as they hold the rock wall tightly.

"C'mon Hope, you can do this! That jerk down there can find us anytime!"

Hope lets out a trembling breath, before hauling himself up again. But still, after a short while he stops again, wheezing for breath. Lightning grits her teeth. She understands the climb has been very difficult for the boy, especially after this long day of exploring. In fact, it has been difficult for her, too, what with the latest incident that saps energy from her right arm. But at least she can still move…

Making a decision, Lightning climbs up and positions herself a little higher than Hope. She looks back down at the frightened, exhausted boy.

"Listen, Hope. I know you're tired, but we can't stop now. I'll try to help you climb as much as I can, but you have to do your part too, alright?"

Hope looks up at Light, his eyes flickering nervously in the dim light. "O…okay…" he says with trembling voice.

Lightning nods. Hope may not be able to do everything, but at least she can count on him in giving his best in playing his part. She grabs his arm and hoists him up towards the next handhold, feeling a helpful force from him kicking his foothold for more upward force. Then she climbs up again, before repeating hoisting Hope up.

They manage for quite a distance with this method, and they can even begin to see the sky above them.

However, that brings repercussions as well.

The sunlight enters the crack fully now, and it shines onto Hope and Lightning proudly. While this may be good in other situations, it is clearly not for them.

In fact, it has enabled the Juggernaut down there at the bottom of the crack to spot them.

Whirling its machines, it lifts up its arm and begins to aim at the two desperate climbers.

* * *

><p>The faint whirl of the Juggernaut's machine alerts Lightning. She looks down, noticing that Hope is too tired to hear anything. She gestures at him to check the situation at the bottom of the crack as well, and luckily he understands.<p>

Squinting, Lightning and Hope can barely make out the contours of the Juggernaut's body down there…

And Lightning's eyes immediately widen in anger as she sees the Juggernaut already aiming its hand towards them, ready to shoot. Glancing up quickly, she can see that there is still quite some distance between them to the surface. _Tch._

"Hope, give it all you've got! Climb up, now!"

With that, Lightning hoists Hope up further than she has done before, sending him way ahead of her. She taps his leg urgently, urging him to continue. Understanding their dangerous situation, and realizing that they can be shot anytime, Hope climb up as fast as he can, fear giving him strength. Light is climbing up feverishly beside him too.

Lightning glances back, and realizes immediately that they are not going to make it.

"Hope, forget it! Protect and Shell around yourself, now!" Lightning shouts, casting the respective spells on herself as well. Hope immediately does as told, knowing that he can only trust Light in this and not to waste any time asking questions. He has to act fast.

Once Lightning sees the spells enveloping Hope's body, she feels a little relieved.

"Alright, Hope, now brace for impact," she says.

"Wha—?"

BOOM!

The Juggernaut shoots, hitting the walls right below Lightning and Hope. The explosion is blocked by the protective buffs they have casted on themselves, but the force of it still throws them upwards powerfully.

The good thing is, the force is enough to push them over the edge of the crack, back to earth's surface. The bad thing? Well, the force is too powerful that they are sent further into the air than they would have liked. And they are plunging back onto the ground, fast.

"Damn," Lightning curses as she grabs Hope's shirt in mid-air, swinging him upwards so she is now falling ahead of him.

Lightning hits the ground first, bearing the brunt of the impact for Hope, who is lucky enough to land right on her.

* * *

><p>Hope groans, his head feeling as though it is about to explode. He is feeling dizzy, and opening his eyes, even slightly, only makes him feel worse. So he just shuts them again, grunting.<p>

They have fallen quite badly… but luckily he has fallen on something soft…

Hope's eyes snap open at this, and immediately his face turns bright red as he realizes he has landed right on top of Lightning. He feels guilty too, for letting her bear the brunt of the impact and even absorbs his fall as well. Still red-faced, he quickly gets off her, tumbling on his side beside her. Luckily Lightning hasn't opened her eyes, hence not noticing his reddened face.

But soon enough, Lightning groans and opens her eyes as well, her breaths fast after their desperate climb. Hope can feel his breaths are erratic, too.

"After this," Lightning growls, still struggling to catch her breaths; yet her eyes are glowing sharply at Hope. "No more Juggernaut-riding."

Hope chuckles nervously, struggling with his own breaths as well. "Can't believe we are still alive," he says, his voice still trembling.

"Let's just… catch our breath for a while…" Lightning suggests, too tired to scold Hope for bringing about all this mess.

Coming from Lightning, that suggestion is as rare as a two-headed Behemoth. So of course Hope agrees, groaning as he closes his eyes as well and takes deep breaths. "Thank you, Light… You've saved me again today," he says after his breath begins to settle down. He feels extremely grateful for Lightning saving his skin, but he feels ashamed as well for being so dependent. Especially when he remembers how he couldn't climb up without her help…

Lightning keeps silent. Hope smiles sadly, expecting as much. But then his eyes open, startled, when Lightning suddenly speaks without opening her eyes.

"You've done your part well," she says. "You've gotten stronger."

And immediately Hope's weariness disappears. He can't believe his ears. _Did Light just approve that I am stronger? But then, I still needed her help climbing… _Hope muses in disbelief. He beams, feeling so relieved and happy. The powerful Lightning, his mentor, his savior… has admitted his strength. After he's been waiting so long, after all those tiring trainings he's pushed himself through, finally all his efforts pay up. Even though they are just words, but coming from Light, they mean everything. She doesn't talk much, hence when she does, it means something. Beaming, still unable to believe what's just happened, Hope closes his eyes. "Thank you…"

With that, Hope begins to fall into an exhausted sleep, his thoughts full of relief. However, his last thought is of something that makes him nervous.

_Let's just hope Light wouldn't remember what I've called her earlier._

And so, Hope falls asleep, his thoughts filled with memories of his mother.

* * *

><p>Lightning regains her strength after a while, and now she is already up on her feet, eyeing the sun that has begun to move lower towards the horizons. She sighs, deciding that it is time to go back to the base camp. Probably the other teams have found all the Behemoths, since it is not likely any Behemoth has ventured this way, what with the clustered buildings that would have been inaccessible to the big brutes.<p>

So Lightning turns around to tell Hope it's time to move on, but to her dismay the boy has fallen asleep. And a deep one at that, judging from his even, calm breathing.

Lightning groans. _Lady Luck really is scowling at me today, _she muses grimly, trying to imagine the Lady that Fang likes to refer to so much.

_All right, hell, I'm outta here, _Lightning thinks in annoyance as she sees the sun begins to settle. She doesn't feel like wandering around in darkness between clustered buildings, anyway. Logically, she should've woken Hope up and forces him to move on, especially since all this mess starts with his random act of mischief. Yet she cannot bring herself to waking up the tired boy. He has done well climbing up that crack… he has indeed gotten stronger. The old Hope wouldn't have been able to climb the first few meters up the wall. But now, he's able to climb most of it by himself, despite still needing her occasional support. No worries, though, he's still just a kid after all. One day he would grow even stronger, and he'd be able to climb rock walls like that easily.

But for now… Lightning glances tiredly at the still-sleeping kid. Not seeing any other choice, Lightning lets out a defeated sigh before bending down and slings Hope's arms around her neck, carrying him on her back and makes her way to the basecamp.

* * *

><p>Hope begins to wake up. Yet he hasn't opened his eyes… No, he doesn't <em>want <em>to. He is feeling very comfortable now… something he hasn't been feeling since turning l'Cie. He is no longer lying on the hard ground, in fact it feels like he is lying on his stomach on a rocking chair, what's with the slight movement of his body, rising and falling…

And the warmth… this warmth, it feels so familiar to him… this feeling of complete safety and peace…

_Wait… I've felt this before…_

Memories rush back to him.

_Nautilus!_

That's right, when he was younger his parents have brought him to Nautilus. He had been so happy then, running around all day and even tried racing a chocobo. At the end of the trip he was so tired that he couldn't walk anymore and his mother had to carry him on her back. And he fell asleep there, listening to his mother's gentle chuckle and soft lullaby, feeling completely warm, safe and peaceful.

Hope begins to open his eyes a little. Right in front of his face, he sees silver hair.

"Mom…?" he asks hesitantly, astonished.

The back of the person carrying him immediately tenses upon hearing his question. As his eyes adjust, Hope realizes that the previously-seem to be silver hair is actually pink. _Light! _he thinks dreadfully.

Yet luckily for Hope, he is saved by the noises of the others as they see him and Light approaching.

"Light! You're back! We were wondering where you are!"

"What happened? "

"Where's Hope?"

All those questions are directly bombarded at Lightning. Hope can clearly imagine her frowning face in his head right now. Trying to wave, he begins to stir. The others immediately notice him.

"Oh, no! Hope! Is he hurt?" Vanille asks, worried.

"No, he's just tired! Now can you all just move aside so I can put him down!" comes Lightning's exasperated reply.

He can hear Vanille's relief in her following giggle. "Hehehe, sorry!"

As Lightning carries him past them, Hope tries to smile to show that he is really okay. Really, he is just tired! Why hadn't Light woken him up anyway? Then she wouldn't have had to go with the trouble of carrying him… Isn't she tired herself?

But then Lightning puts Hope down on the cold mattress, making him miss the warmth. He quickly sits down, looking up nervously at his mentor whom he just called...

"Light… sor—" Hope begins to apologize, but Lightning just waves her hand dismissively.

"Don't sweat it," she says, standing back up. But before she turns her back on Hope, he managed to see a slight blush creeping up her face. Hope blushes too,considering what he's called her. Man, it's so embarrassing! The situation really was awkward, for both of them. Luckily nobody else heard it…

"Hey, you guys catch any food yet?" Lightning asks the others. No doubt she wants to avoid having to tell them all the stupid incidents that happened today.

"Umm, no… we are just about to leave for a hunt…" Sazh says, gesturing at himself and Snow.

"Then I'm coming too," Light says curtly, starting to walk away with Sazh and Snow hurrying after her.

* * *

><p>Lightning, Sazh and Snow return soon afterwards, bringing dinner. We are all eating silently now, sitting around the campfire outside the building we use as basecamp. I've been wondering what's happened that made Light and Hope return so late, and I bet the others are, too.<p>

My guess is proved correct when Fang begins interrogating Light right after she swallows her last bite.

"So, what happened, Light?" she asks.

Lightning sighs in defeat, knowing that she cannot avoid it much longer. "Nothing much, okay? We just ventured too deep into the ruins, met an overzealous Juggernaut, fell into a damn crack and had to spend some time climbing up," she says emotionlessly.

Five seconds of silence.

Then Fang's laughter bursts, followed by the others'. "Whoa, that's clearly _not _'nothing much,' Light! I mean, you two've had more fun than the rest of us combined!" she says in between her laughter.

"I take it that you have settled the Behemoth issue then?" Lightning asks back, not amused.

"Yep! My team even finished off two of 'em!" Snow answers proudly.

"Heh, you guys are just lucky," Fang scoffs. "But at least Vanille and I had quite some fun defeating one Behemoth, yea?"

"Yep!" Vanille's voice rings happily.

"Wait, but then, why did you return with Hope hanging on your back like a sack?" Fang asks Light again, giving Hope a smirk as well.

"He was too tired after the climb," Lightning answers curtly while Hope only blushes. "Couldn't spend longer time resting there, the sun was setting…"

Fang chuckles again, muttering "Typical Light! Ain't have the heart to wake the cute and innocent up!" earning her a piercing scowl.

"Whoa, you must be so tired, Hope!" Vanille says, looking at Hope worriedly. "You okay now?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Hope replies timidly.

"Hey, so what's our plan from here?" Snow asks. "Are we finally ready to go and settle our business with that old fal'Cie?" He slams his fists together enthusiastically.

"Guess so," Fang replies, smirking. "Moreover since we already know that Fafnir sword is genuine."

"We'll do that, but not before Serah gets her weapon first," Lightning says sternly, her glare sharp and inarguable.

Fang nods. "Sure, sure. It'd be our advantage too if you get stronger, yea?" she grins at me.

"But how do we get to Barthandelus afterwards?" Sazh asks, frowning. "Do we have to go back to Cocoon or something?"

We all stare up at the darkening sky, where the bronze planet can be seen floating peacefully, glowing slightly. It is beautiful, yet knowing that our nemesis is within that planet only makes it look menacing to us.

"I see no other choice," Lightning says sternly. "If that's what it takes to settle all this mess, then I'm all for it."

Fang grins. "That's the spirit, Light!" she says, punching Lightning's shoulder playfully.

"We still have to be careful, though," Vanille says. "We can't afford to be careless, or else we might all… perish…"

"Right. We should use this next few days looking for Serah's weapon and training en route," Lightning suggests.

Vanille smiles. "Sounds like a good idea! We are sure to find monsters if we explore this place in search of weapon… they would be our training dummies!" she says cheerfully.

I nod too, agreeing. To be honest, I am afraid at the prospect of having to dive into a battle with Barthandelus soon… But I have my friends with me here, and I trust them all with my life. Especially Lightning… One thing I'm sure of: as long as we stick together, we'll at least have some hope to change our fate. Light doesn't believe in fates, after all. She believes she controls her own fate, not the other way around. Smiling, I've gotta admit those words have really encouraged us to keep moving. Cocoon's our home, and we'll never let Barthandelus destroy it.

With that problem settled, we all start moving into the building, preparing to sleep and replenish our energy for tomorrow.


	25. Chapter 25

"Take this!"

Lightning's Quake shakes the ground, throwing all the nearby Cie'th to the air.

"Try this one for size!"

Beside her, Hope sends his own Firaga which explodes right in the middle of the thrown Cie'th. They screech in pain, bursting into crystals and disappear. But soon enough, another wave of Cie'th replaces them. Vampire, Ghast, Strigoi, Pijavica, Edimmu… Hell, it looks like all kinds of Cie'th are here! And this new wave of them is even bigger than the previous, which already gave us quite some trouble to dispatch.

"Give me Waterga!" Lightning shouts, quickstepping away from the approaching monsters. Without further ado, Vanille, Sazh, Hope and I send our Waterga to the middle of the enemy, killing some of the weaker ones but leaving the stronger ones merely stumbling and soaked. Not to worry, though, their lives are gonna end soon.

True enough, a split second later Lightning releases her Thundaga into the horde of Cie'th. Coupled with the earlier Waterga, the electricity spreads through the entire Cie'th horde with twice its usual power. Shrill dying screeches and wails ring through the air, making us Dazed. Luckily, Fang and Snow soon cast Esuna on all of us before continuing pummeling at the remaining enemies. Which are still aplenty.

_How and why did they attack us, anyway?_

All I know was that I was woken up roughly this morning by Lightning, who all but dislocated my shoulders as she shook them in her hurry to wake me up. She'd shouted "Enemy attack!" and I immediately scrambled to my feet, seeing the others doing the same. Snow, however, was still snoring; so Fang kicked his back to wake him up. Looking around, my eyes widened in horror as all I could see was a wall of Cie'th surrounding our building. They were everywhere, staggering their way towards us, so numerous that we couldn't even see the horizon anymore. Everything was covered in Cie'th. How could all of them arrive here so suddenly? Last night there wasn't any of them! It was completely peaceful last night; there wasn't even a single sound save for our own breathings. So how did all these Cie'th appear out of thin air like this, without anyone noticing their approach?

"Stay together!"

Upon that shout from Lightning, I had banished all those thoughts away and focused on the battle. Following her lead, we dashed out of the small building and clustered together, forming a circle with our backs facing each other. That way, at least we can protect each other's back.

What happened after that was a blur. We fought so hard, sending spell after spell into the Cie'th army. Yet they kept coming, and soon we were overwhelmed by their number. Our circle broke, we were scattered and struggled to survive individually.

Soon enough, anyway, we realized that the best way to survive was to combine forces. There was no way we can win if we kept fighting individually, since the Cie'th kept appearing. Fighting individually would only bring danger, and someone might get hurt if we do not be careful. And so, upon releasing Ruinga simultaneously to clear our way, all of us hurried to gather back.

Unfortunately, the other Cie'th wouldn't let us do it so easily. They wailed and scurried faster towards us over their fallen comrades, blocking our ways.

Hence, now here we are, still fighting the horrible creatures desperately. We can't form a circle like earlier, but at least we are now closer together and we can combine attacks too, like just now with those Waterga and Lightning's Thundaga.

As soon as I recover from the Daze I quickly send more elemental spells at the Cie'th, including some Slowga to slow down their approach. Although not much, but it can at least help giving us more time to prepare our next spells. I see Vanille and Fang are casting Slowga spells as well.

"Where the hell did all of 'em come from?" Sazh asks angrily as he sends a barrage of bullets at the nearest Cie'th's heads.

"Hey Lightnin'! Where did they come from?" Fang shouts as well from her position a little further down the area, where she is currently beating the daylight out of several Cie'th with her Blitz.

Lightning, who is releasing a chain of Blitz attacks as well, shouts back. "How should I know? I only woke up when the first wave's already begun to surround us!"

"Is this kind of Cie'th infestation natural around here?" Snow shouts too as he applies Steelguard to withstand a Vampire's attack.

"Ooooh, yeah sure, it is as natural as those PSICOM Dragoons backfiring at their own comrades!" Fang replies sarcastically.

"It's not natural, Snow! We've never seen anything like this!" Vanille explains hurriedly as she aids Hope in casting Haste and Shell at everyone.

"Then can this be… _his _doing?" Sazh asks hesitantly without casting his eyes off the approaching Pijavicas.

"Tch. We know nobody else that can control Cie'th besides him, right?" Lightning snarls.

My body feels immediately cold. Even without saying his name, we all already know who Lightning and Sazh are referring to. Our nemesis, the one we've beaten twice yet keeps regenerating back to life… Barthandelus.

As if on cue, suddenly another wave of Cie'th appears, wailing and shrieking.

"Enough of this!" Lightning roars angrily. "Fang!"

Fang immediately runs towards Light, ignoring the last two Cie'th surrounding her. "Ready when you are!" she shouts with a smirk, readying her lance.

"Stay away, everyone!" Sazh shouts as he scurries hurriedly out of Lightning and Fang's way. Following his lead, we retreat, using the time to heal and cast buffs. By now, we've managed to get out from the circle of Cie'th surrounding us and create some sort of chess-like formation, with us on one side of the board and the Cie'th horde on the other side. And despite they are approaching us dauntingly right now, but we know they'll soon be exterminated.

"Too late to beg for mercy!"

With a blinding flash and deafening explosion, our death machines release their Lightning Fang directly into the new wave of Cie'th. The powerful attack instantly kills all the nearest monsters, and even its shockwave sends the others who stand further staggering.

"Now's our chance!"

With that, the others continue to assault at the staggered Cie'th using their best attacks. Death, Cold Blood, Sovereign Fist and Last Resort, while I stick with casting buffs.

"Go all out!"

With that command from Lightning, we start attacking even more frantically. There aren't many Cie'th left now, it may be our only chance to create some room to escape should more Cie'th appear! There is no way we can keep this up much longer if more waves appear. Our magic and stamina are depleting at a worrying rate, what with the continuous barrage of assaults from the ridiculously many Cie'th. Has Barthandelus sent them all to kill us? To be frank, he'd almost succeeded… If not because of Lightning waking up right on time to alert us of the incoming danger.

The next few minutes are somewhat blurry to us. All we know is that we have to keep attacking. I can feel my fatigue growing uncomfortably with each spell I cast. My magic is almost depleted fully… As well as Hope's, despite I'm sure Vanille is still reserving her magic for healing purpose. She has stopped attacking by now, opting to evade enemies' attacks that come her way in order to save her magic should anyone gets seriously injured. Lightning, Fang, Sazh and Snow are still attacking, but it is obvious that they are nearing their limits as well. Fang and Lightning seem to get angrier and angrier with each additional Cie'th that comes their way, but it only proves that they are getting desperate. Even I can see that their blows start to lose strength. Fang even got hit on the back once by an Edimmu, and despite Vanille has sent her a Cure, Lightning still rushes to her side and they are now fighting back to back.

"I don't even know Gran Pulse has this many Cie'th!" Snow shouts as he Provokes the nearest two Ghasts, distracting them away from Hope who is still struggling with a Daze inflicted to him.

"Save your breath and focus on surviving!" Lightning snarls, back-flipping away to avoid a Vampire's swinging arm. She continues to slash at the monster. The attack should've normally decapitated it, but now Lightning's power has been depleted with exhaustion and the Cie'th merely staggers. Luckily, Fang aids Light by sending a couple of Ruin spells which explode right on the monster's head, killing it.

Struggling with my own fast breathing, I force myself to send some healing spells at Sazh who has been hit a few times, and an Esuna at Hope. My vision starts to get blurry, and I can feel my magic draining fast. I can't keep this up much longer… And we can't even escape; the monsters just keep coming and blocking our way!

"Ugh!"

I immediately turn upon hearing that groan, and sees Snow has fallen; he is overwhelmed by six Cie'th that he tried to Provoke away from Sazh.

"You reckless idiot!" Lightning snarls. Without thinking twice, she runs away from Fang towards Snow.

BOOM!

All the six Cie'th that were beating Snow up are immediately thrown back, scorched and dead from Lightning's Wrath of Heavens. Snow is immediately up on his feet again, despite his head and arms are bleeding. Vanille sends him a Curaga, sealing his wounds.

_Thump._

Although faint amongst all the chaos, that noise is enough to make me turn around. Lightning has fallen to her knees, her body shaking from her last exertion of releasing Wrath of Heavens so soon after the previous Lightning Fang. Those spells need a lot of energy to unleash! Especially in Lightning's already exhausted state… it must have drained much of her energy.

"So are you, foolhardy!" Fang's shout booms as she dashes towards Lightning, applying Steelguard to protect her battle partner from three new Cie'th that are trying to take advantage of Lightning's exhaustion.

But soon Fang too gets overwhelmed, and despite Lightning has risen back to her feet and assists Fang, they are still struggling. I've gotta help!

Ignoring my own exhaustion, I send Firaga and Aeroga at those Cie'th. I can see Hope is casting his own spells to help Light and Fang too. But then, his face is getting pale as well… he even almost fails to catch his boomerang that he's thrown at the nearest Cie'th coming at him. Vanille, Sazh and Snow are not in better condition as well, in fact they are suffering some injuries that Vanille is struggling to heal. Upon seeing Fang and Lightning have begun to recover, I channel my magic to help Vanille in healing instead.

"There is no end to these guys!" Fang shouts in frustration. She's right, the monsters keep pouring like water from a broken jug, overwhelming us and not giving any chance to escape.

"We'll escape at first chance! Look out for it, everyone!" Lightning shouts, her usually emotionless face now betrays some desperation and frustration.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a laughter breaks. A booming deep voice echoes through the air, the voice we all know so well yet it is the last voice we want to hear in this kind of situation.

_No way… not now! Not now, when we are all drained!_

"Escape? Oh pitiful l'Cie, it may save your miserable lives for now. But you are just postponing your inescapable doom!"

We all turn immediately to look behind us.

There he is. Barthandelus, smiling coldly at us as he stands calmly a few meters away. We didn't even notice his arrival, it is as if he just… appeared from thin air, much like the horde of Cie'th. He merely gazes at us emptily as though he's been watching for a while and is bored with the show. As we stare at him in disbelief, a hoot can be heard from above and we look up to see his silver owl Mnerva flying around, eyeing us with its unblinking gaze.

"You! What do you want?" Snow shouts angrily. Before anyone can stop him, he's charged right at Barthandelus with a war cry, readying to slam him to the ground.

"No, Snow! Stop!" Lightning shouts.

Too late. Snow slams into Barthandelus, but instead of hitting him, he falls right through Barthandelus' body. Our eyes widen in surprise, as Barthandelus laughs.

"Pitiful child, don't you ever learn?" he asks spreading his arms which also get through Snow as if he is nothing but air.

"He's not real," Sazh says, frowning. "It's just a shadow…"

He's right. Just now we were too shocked to see him, but now we realize that Barthandelus' form is wavering, and a little transparent at the edges. It is indeed just a shadow of his real self, sent from the safety of his throne at Eden. Snow meanwhile, has scurried back to his feet and retreats.

"What do you want?" Lightning asks him again, her voice sharp and wary. Upon Barthandelus' shadow's intervention, the Cie'th have stopped dead on their tracks, their heads turned to him as though waiting for his command.

"I am merely here to warn all of you foolish creatures," Barthandelus says sternly. Pointing his long, wrinkled finger at us, he bellows. "You are tempting fate! Cocoon is past saving. If you proceed, there is nothing ahead that awaits beside your impending doom. Like you can see from this Cie'th army of mine, my power is far greater than yours. Succumb, l'Cie! Give in to your fate, adhere my commands and you might just be able to survive to see the birth of the new world in the hands of the Makers. That is your fate from the beginning as l'Cie!" he roars those last words, sending a wave of phantom energy that makes us stagger slightly.

Despite his words have indeed scared me, but I can feel anger rises within me as well. Who is he to decide that Cocoon is past saving? He is just a falsehood in this world!

_Turn falsehood to ashes._

My head jerks up as I remember those inscriptions on Fafnir. Turning my head slightly, I can faintly see it hidden safely inside our building, its blade already flaring bright orange in the presence of Mnerva and Barthandelus' shadow.

_Right. We have Fafnir. We can't let Cocoon be destroyed! This falsehood of a fal'Cie must be stopped!_

"Talk all you want. But you can wait forever till any of us adhere your command!" Lightning shouts back at Barthandelus. "That's all you can do, right? Waiting for others to come and do your dirty job! Depending on others, can't even do things by yourself… You don't even dare to come here by yourself. Sending shadows, Cie'th and bird to represent you? Now that's pathetic."

Fang laughs sadistically as Lightning finishes, swinging her lance threateningly. "What she says, old creep. We are not yours to control! We won't follow some control freak's orders. You are helpless without your slaves, aren't you?"

"We won't let you manipulate us into destroying Cocoon!" Hope adds, scowling angrily at Bathandelus.

"You're not hurting anyone else!" Vanille shouts as well. "And we'll do nothing to follow your evil plans!"

"You'll pay for all you've done!" I shout angrily, and Snow roars. "And we are coming to destroy you this time!"

"Impending doom, huh? Empty threats as always," Lightning says again. Pointing her gunblade at Barthandelus, she aims it straight at his head. "If you truly expect to destroy anything, then stop cowering! Prove you can actually carry out your threats, get your real body here and let's finish this!"

"Khu khu khu…" Even under Lightning's murderous glare, Barthandelus still maintains his cold front. His eerie chuckle rumbles, and soon turns into laughter.

"Ha ha ha! Such a big talk, coming from mere slaves! Do you truly think you can defeat me? I, Barthandelus! I have the power to keep coming back to life. In fact, I am the one who gave you life! My mercy is the only reason you are still standing here right now!"

"Cut the crap. Just come here and let's finish this already!" Lightning's voice reaches a dangerous edge. She's so fed up with all the threats; she's more than ready to fight.

Barthandelus falls silent upon this. Even as a shadow, we can see clearly the fury in his eyes.

"Insolent lowlife," he growls. "Fine. If you are so keen on perishing, then let's settle this like you want! I'll come to Oerba at the next solstice of the sun. I'll show you utter despair!"

"Now that's a first," Lightning scoffs. "Come, and we'll show you true death in turn, creep."

"Don't be so confident on yourselves. First you still have to survive this Cie'th army of mine! A mere preview of what's waiting for you all!"

And with that, Barthandelus laughs wildly and disappears. Mnerva shrieks shrilly at us, before taking off and flies away.

"Coward," Hope hisses.

Despite still feeling deep fury at Barthandelus, I can't help but feeling a little worried about the incoming fight. Why would he accept Lightning's challenge that easily? Doesn't he know that we have Fafnir? Can this be… a trap?

However, all those hesitant thoughts are banished as Lightning growls. "Incoming!"

Lightning's right, as soon Barthandelus' shadow and Mnerva disappears, the Cie'th army that's been waiting starts to charge at us again.

"Preview, huh? Then it's nothing we can't handle!" Fang shouts as she launches to the air, releasing her Highwind right into the middle of the Cie'th horde, scattering them.

And with that, we all charge back into the fight, despite the exhaustion is still wearing us down.

After taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady my trembling body, I immediately release my strongest Aeroga. Beside me, Hope is sending some Fira spells to finish off the Cie'th my Aeroga has thrown up in the air. Snow has joined us too, offering protection as a Sentinel. He is using Mediguard, trying to compensate for his lost stamina.

Meanwhile, the advancing horde of Cie'th has managed to separate us from Lightning and Fang, and Vanille and Sazh. I'm a little worried about Light and Fang, since both of them are too busy attacking and doesn't have any Medic available. Glancing at Hope and Snow who are doing pretty well, I make a decision.

Sending a couple of Aerora to clear my path, I begin making my way towards Lightning and Fang.

* * *

><p><em>I won't feel the least bit sorry if Cie'th extinct after all this, <em>Lightning thinks grimly as she dispatches some Vampires with a round-house kick right to their guts. While Lightning is aiming to kill the stronger Cie'th first, Fang is getting mad; she is swinging her lance without caring which Cie'th she hits anymore.

Suddenly a Pijavica swoops down at them, and Lightning quicksteps sideways to dodge it. Turning, she quickly slashes at the monster's wings and at its head as soon as it falls. Before any other Cie'th can block her way, Lightning swiftly steps backwards, only stopping when she feels Fang's back bumping into hers. This is the best strategy she can think of right now; if there's anyone Lightning would trust with guarding her back in battles, that person will be Fang. With Fang guarding her back, Lightning can feel sure that no Cie'th would take advantage of her blind spot, and the same time, she can guard Fang's back too.

Despite they've been fighting for so long, still there seems to be no end to the Cie'th. If this continues, sooner or later someone will fall from exhaustion rather than from the strength of the enemies. These kinds of Cie'th are sure as hell not strong enough to give them trouble under normal condition, but now in this number, they can be even more dangerous than a Megistotherian! Lightning casts about at her surroundings after shooting an Edimmu, and what she sees doesn't look good.

Everyone is fighting desperately. Snow and Hope have been forced to drop the offensive; Snow is currently acting as Sentinel while Hope is healing both of them. A little further, Sazh is still attacking, but Vanille can be seen sending a few Cure at his direction. As for herself and Fang, Lightning can say they are doing pretty good. They do not even require any Medic right now, but if this continues…

_Wait. Where's Serah?_

Lightning tries to turn around to look for Serah amidst all the Cie'th surrounding her, but a Taxim is standing right in front, blocking her view.

"Out of my way!" Lightning snarls angrily as she sends the Cie'th flying with an Aerora. With it out of her field of view, Lightning can see Serah. She is alone among the sea of Cie'th, and she is clearly struggling. The fact that she doesn't have any weapon makes matters worse, since she can only rely on magic to fight and the overwhelming number of Cie'th just won't give her enough time to release her spells. How can she be alone, anyway? The last time Lightning saw her, she was with Snow!

A small cry makes Lightning glance away, and her heart sinks as she sees Vanille being attacked by four Edimmu. Sazh is shooting at them desperately, but he is struggling to defend himself as well.

Lightning's eyes meet Fang's. And despite that simple glance, both of them have already agreed. Nodding, Fang sends a Dazega at the nearby Cie'th; and with that, the two fighters separate to protect their loved ones. Lightning dashes towards Serah, Fang towards Vanille.

Lightning soon reaches her sister. "Just stay away!" she growls as she releases Blitz at the three Taxims surrounding Serah.

"Light…!" Serah looks at her, a little startled, but Lightning can't risk wasting any more time. Already has her heart boiled with rage upon seeing the bruises on Serah's face and arm from the Cie'th's assault. Grabbing her sister's arm, Lightning drags Serah along with her as she slashes her way towards Snow and Hope, who are standing closest to them.

"Follow me closely!" Lightning tells Serah as she releases her grip on Serah's arm so she can cast her spells. Nodding, Serah runs closely behind Lightning, dealing with the Cie'th attacking from the sides while Lightning deals with the ones in front.

As soon as they reach Snow and Hope who have regained some control, Lightning quickly hisses at Serah, "Stay here, and don't get separated again!"

Without waiting for reply, Lightning bolts towards Fang, Vanille and Sazh. Vanille is still struggling to heal herself and Sazh, while Fang provides cover with Steelguard. Somersaulting over the last few Cie'th blocking her way, Lightning lands right beside Fang and immediately beats the senses out of the Strigoi attacking her battle partner with a well-aimed kick at its head.

Smirking in gratitude, Fang stabs the next enemy before standing back to back with Lightning again. Both of them are acting as Sentinels now, trying to buy some time for Vanille and Sazh to recover.

"Whoa!"

However, soon after Sazh and Vanille regain their ground, one of the remaining Vampire releases its Aeroga. Fang curses as she, Lightning, Sazh and Vanille get thrown to the air; their breaths knocked out from their lungs by the force of the spell. Aeroga doesn't really pose an immediate threat like Firaga or other elemental attacks, but it throws its targets up in the air before hurling them back down to the bone-crushing ground. Moreover, the wildness of the wind prevents the victims from pulling out any stunt to break their fall.

But that's for half-wit victims. They are l'Cie, not only brawn and magic but also brain!

Grunting, Fang struggles to aim a Ruinga spell to the ground as she feels the Aeroga begins to hurl them downwards, Vanille's terrified screams giving her more determination to succeed.

And Fang succeeds. The Ruinga spell explodes near the ground, banishing most of the Aeroga energy. However, they are still falling quite fast towards the ground. And although this kind of fall won't kill them, but it'll at least give them broken bones.

"Damn," Fang mutters through her gritted teeth, closing her eyes as the ground shoots up to greet them. Beside her, she can hear Sazh's grunt and Vanille's whimper.

But the hard ground never makes contact as Fang anticipated. No pain surges through their bodies, no bones broken. Instead, what comes is the feeling like everything around her has been stopped abruptly from moving, sending her stomach lurching. Opening her eyes, Fang huffs in relief as she realizes they have all fallen right into Lightning's grav-con unit. Vanille and Sazh are struggling to get up a little further, while Lightning is already up on her feet, looking blown up like the rest of them.

"Thanks for the Ruinga," Lightning says to Fang as she stands up using her lance for support.

"Thanks for the grav-con," Fang replies, smirking.

"So much for sticking together," Lightning sighs, seeing that she and Fang have once again been separated from Sazh and Vanille.

"At least there aren't many of 'em left now," Fang says before striking at the remaining Cie'th. She is right, the number of the enemy has indeed been greatly reduced.

_About time, considering we've fought for damn long!_

They might stand a chance to survive now, if only they can keep up fighting despite their exhaustion.

_We mustn't give up now! Just a bit… more…_

Just right then, another cry reaches their ears.

* * *

><p>I could only watch as Lightning bolted away again after taking me to Snow and Hope. I hadn't even got the chance to thank her, but it was nothing uncommon in war zones like this. After she left, I stayed by Snow and Hope, acting as Medic while they focused on attacking. If we could keep this up a little longer, we might be able to win… the number of Cie'th had been reduced greatly.<p>

But then, a Vampire released Aeroga and I could only watch in horror as Lightning, Fang, Vanille and Sazh were thrown up to the air. I couldn't just stand there and watch as that Aeroga hurl them to the ground!

Ignoring Hope's panic warning, I had dashed towards them, releasing Stopga in my attempt to stop the Aeroga's whirls. However, the spell was too big and my Stopga did little to slow it down.

Luckily, soon afterwards I could sigh in relief when Fang and Lightning managed to save themselves with Ruinga coupled with grav-con unit. They landed quite roughly, but I knew they'd be okay. Fang and Lightning were even already up on their feet.

But that was when reality sank in. I had been separated from Snow and Hope again, and despite they were trying to approach me, but the Cie'th were already blocking our way. To make matters worse, the Cie'th were coming at me from everywhere.

"Shoot." So now I am trying to get back to Snow and Hope, casting spells left and right at the approaching Cie'th.

Two Pijavicas swoop down from the sky, and I quickly repel them with an Aerora. Another one coming from my right; I shoot it down with Fira. A Strigoi approaching from in front… Daze stops him right on the spot. Vampire replacing its position…

I grunt in desperation as I struggle to cast a string of Fira spells at the Vampire. However, my exhausted state reduces the power of my magic, and the Fira spells do little damage. The Vampire is still approaching, even angrier now after it's been hit by the Fira.

"No, stay… away!" I shout at the Vampire, attempting to cast Aerora but only manage to cast Aero.

"No way!" Channeling all my energy into it, I cast another Aerora at the Vampire, successfully hurling it away.

"Ugh…"

_Oh no… My vision… is blurry… I can't see…_

That last spell has drained my energy; I can feel my legs trembling…

"Serah! Look out!"

That shout from Hope snaps me back into reality. However, my reflexes are already slowed and it was all too late when I finally manage to turn around. My eyes widen as I see another Strigoi behind me, its arm raised high, ready to hit.

After that, I remember feeling pain exploding in my head before everything turns dark. Somewhere further, I can hear someone roars in fury.

* * *

><p><em>Ugh… my head…<em>

The first thing I feel when I start to wake up is the pain in my head. It keeps gnawing, refusing to go away… but luckily, it is still bearable… What happened anyway?

Without opening my eyes, I try to recall what has happened. Everything is blurry… I only remember something hit my head hard; then I must have fainted or something to have my memory so unclear like this. Who hit me?

_Cie'th!_

I suddenly remember the Cie'th army and the crazy battle against them. _No way! Am I still in the battlefield?_

I struggle to open my eyes, but they just won't obey me. _Dammit, I have to wake up now! What if I'm still in the battlefield? I've gotta move!_

But come to think of it… It doesn't feel like I'm in the battlefield anymore… There are no sounds of explosion or Cie'th's screeches. But that's if my ears can be trusted, of course. Deciding not to rely on my ears alone, I try to feel every sensation from my surroundings. It's so warm… I can feel my body lying on something soft, and even my head is lying comfortably against something. Wait… More careful inspection enables me to notice that my body is rising slightly up and down, as if I am lying on something breathing.

Then everything comes to me. This warmth, this tranquility…

My eyes snap open, and immediately meet the slope of Lightning's neck. My head is lying on her right shoulder, and her arms are wrapped firmly around me as she carries me while walking.

"Sis?" I ask groggily, the pain in my head still lingering. Lightning turns to look at me, looking slightly surprised. _Huh? I thought she normally would've noticed that I've woken up?_

Lightning immediately stops walking, and I can see the others too now. They are walking around Lightning, and are now coming towards us.

"Welcome back!" Fang says, smirking at me. "How are ya feeling?"

"Umm, I'm fine… What happened?" I look around at everyone, and they seem okay. The battle must have been over for some time, since everyone's seemed to be healed. Sure, everyone looks tired, but that's normal considering the long battle.

"We won," Lightning answers curtly. "More importantly, are you sure you're okay, Serah? Your head was hit quite hard…"

"Don't worry, Light, I'm fine… You can put me down now," I add hurriedly when I notice her arms trembling slightly.

Lightning grumbles, making no move to put me down. Knowing her stubbornness, I assure her again. "Really, sis, I'm fine… My head doesn't hurt anymore, I'm not even feeling dizzy." It's true, after all. Just now my head was indeed feeling dizzy, but not anymore.

Fang snickers. "Quit yer bridal game and put 'er down, Light. You're already at your limits, too, right?"

I can feel Lightning's chest rumble as she growls at Fang. I smile to assure her, despite feeling curious at Fang's last sentence.

Lightning finally sighs, before putting me down carefully on my feet. I hold her shoulder for a while to regain my balance, before releasing her and smile my gratitude. Vanille immediately approaches me, grinning. "Glad that you're okay, Serah!" she chirps.

I was about to ask her what exactly has happened, but I don't get the chance as Lightning speaks again. "Come on, it's getting dark. We should move."

I blink, confused. Sazh realizes my confusion and explains. "Our building back there was destroyed into rubbles from the battle… We are looking for a new one now."

I thank him, before walking faster to catch up with Lightning and Hope who have walked quite further away. I am still curious about the battle I missed, but for now maybe we should focus on finding a new camp first.

* * *

><p>We finally find a new building to use as camp. Fang, Vanille, Sazh and I have just finished sorting out the new building and are now sitting near the campfire, waiting for Lightning, Snow and Hope to return with our dinner. Seeing this as a chance, I ask Fang and Vanille. "So what exactly happened?"<p>

Vanille lets out a sigh. "Whew, you have no idea how scary it got back there, Serah!" she says.

I frown. "Why? Did more Cie'th appear?"

"Nope, quite the contrary in fact. No more Cie'th appeared, but the ones left were actually enough to kill us all… If not for Lightning."

"Light? Why? What did she do?" I ask, feeling worry begins to creep into my heart, remembering her trembling arms and Fang's last words to her.

"She went berserk right after you went down. Man, I've never seen her that furious before! Sure, I often see her angry, but not berserk like that… She roared like a wolf and I almost got a heart attack looking into her eyes. She looked more than ready to kill every living soul. And true enough, she immediately bolted towards you, unleashing Wrath of Heavens left and right! Those spells kill so many Cie'th, we were so shocked to see her annihilating them so easily like that, considering we'd been struggling to kill them until then. Looks like her anger gave strength to the spells, and whoa, that time was the tide-turner moment! The number of Cie'th was so greatly reduced… But that's not all, after reaching you and ensuring you were okay she glared at the remaining Cie'th and unleashed even more Wrath of Heavens! In total she released five of them under three minutes!" Vanille describes enthusiastically while I can only gape at her.

"Heh, but that almost drained all her energy too," Fang adds. "I mean, all those spells so fast… She literally collapsed to the ground after sweeping off all those Cie'th, so we immediately ran in to help finish off the last remaining few. She looked dead tired, and the rest of us were not so much better than her either, so we rested for a while. After that Hope healed the wound on your head, and we decided to look for a new camp; but Light was still stubborn enough not to let anyone else carry you. Snow's offered to help, but the glare she gave him was enough to send him apologizing and scurrying away, of course. And that's why you woke up in her arms, missy," Fang finishes.

"Light is so protective towards you," Sazh adds, shaking his head tiredly. "I mean, where did she get the energy to unleash all those spells after that crazy battle anyway? And once she was at it, there was nothing that can stop her from mauling those Cie'th that hurt you."

"You have no idea how it was like!" Vanille says again. "All those thunders roaring around us… The explosions, the rocks and Cie'th flying around all scorched… everything was literally crackling with electricity! Whew! I was scared they might hit us too; you know how ferocious the spells are, right? But surprisingly, none hit us. Gotta appreciate Light for that, especially since she was already all out for blood that time."

I smile upon hearing that, even though the sudden flow of information kinda overwhelms me a little. "Light will never hurt her friends," I tell them. "Never."

_Etro, what have you been doing when I was out, Light!_

I want to scold Light for being so foolhardy. What was she thinking, going for an all-out assault like that? Doesn't she know that makes her vulnerable as well? She was lucky the Cie'th are all brawn without brain, but Barthandelus is different. He's a shrewd mastermind, he might take advantage of Lightning's recklessness once she goes berserk! But still, Lightning isn't stupid either… She's always composed and level-headed in battles. In fact, even I have never seen Lightning going berserk like Vanille described before. I sigh. Maybe I should let Light rest first before giving her an earful… After all, it is thanks to her that we won the battle. I just hope I can find a weapon fast, so I can help the others in the fight against Barthandelus… I don't want to become a liability anymore.

"Hey, by the way…" Sazh's voice snaps my attention back at him.

"We have good news for you. You're looking for a weapon right?" he asks. I nod immediately, feeling my hopes rising. "Then you'd be glad to know that we found an old arsenal in one of the buildings around here. We've searched through it quickly, but most of the weapons are broken… still, maybe you'd find something nice if we search it more thoroughly tomorrow?"

"Sure! Thanks!" I thank him, grinning. Finally we find something… I really hope I can find my weapon soon.

* * *

><p>Lightning, Snow and Hope return shortly afterwards with dinner. We eat silently, too tired to talk much. Soon afterwards, we go into the building to sleep one by one. Fang leaves first, dragging Vanille to force her to go to sleep. Vanille half-heartedly protests, but Fang ignores her since we clearly have seen Vanille almost fell asleep even while chatting. Hope, Sazh and Snow follow them soon after. No wonder though, since today's fight has been madly tiring. Lightning… well, she is still sitting with me, gazing at the stars.<p>

I scoot closer to her. Light immediately looks at me.

"Aren't you tired?" she asks. "Shouldn't you go to sleep?"

I snort. "Humph, you're one to talk! I've heard everything, Light. You should be the one resting, after going berserk like a bull seeing red cloth like that!"

Lightning rises her eyebrow, looking slightly amused. "I didn't go berserk like a bull. I was just trying to make sure you were okay ASAP."

"And your method is by berserking like a bull." I glare at her. "How can you be so reckless? I know you did it because you were worried and all, but still! You could've gotten hurt! Don't you know those Cie'th might take advantage of your berserk state and attack you while you were too busy blasting the front area?"

"But Cie'th are stupid, Serah. They only know how to attack using brute force! They know nothing about strategy and…"

"But what about other enemies, Light! We may meet stronger, smarter ones in the future, and you can't afford to be reckless like that again! Next time, you should just stay calm and cast some Dazega or Stopga to the Cie'th around me before approaching to help, instead of going berserk like that. That's how you do it, Light! You're supposed to think through every action before executing it, no matter how angry you are. Isn't that what Lieutenant Amodar always teach you? Seriously, your hot head always gets you into trouble, like that time when we were still…"

I continue my scolding for a while, linking it to our similar childhood incidents; I even add in some analysis about probability of surviving in battles, quotes from Lieutenant Amodar and even a philosophical advice. I am in the middle of talking something about losing temper when Lightning finally cuts me.

"Alright, alright, Serah, I get it!" Lightning says, rising her right hand to stop my flow of scolding while her left hand rubs her temple tiredly. "I get it, okay? I'm sorry, I won't repeat it again, I remember what Amodar says, I'll think things through in battles and I'll cool my head down! Geez, what a lecture… You even went as far as _childhood_ incidents?" she asks in disbelief.

I can't help but laugh at her tired expression. She's really getting an earful tonight. I think that's enough for one day, besides she already got pretty much the main points. I ruffle her hair affectionately. "But anyway, thanks, sis. You saved me."

Lightning squirms away from my hand, smiling faintly. "Thanks for the lecture, too… I guess."

I giggle. "Anytime," I reply her, feeling a smug satisfaction when she pales at the idea of having to go through such lecture anytime. I hug her arm, snuggling closer to her as I watch the last few embers in the campfire sleepily.

"But y'know, it's just so hard to think calmly in that kind of situation."

I look up at Lightning again when she suddenly whispers those words. I frown, curious. "What do you mean?"

Lightning looks away, looking uncomfortable. "I mean, it was like… I was so scared I might have lost you… and it kinda went all dark to me, and all I could see was you among all those monsters. I just wanted to… reach you before anything else happen to you. And the fastest way is by tearing through all those Cie'th blocking my way."

I sigh, snuggling even closer to her. "I know, Light… It's always easier to talk than actually do it, right? I'm sorry I lectured you. I should've thought about how it felt for you, too."

Lightning smiles bitterly. "No problem. At least the lecture made me see new ways of responding if such thing happens again." She blinks. "Not that I will let it happen again so easily, though."

I laugh. "If only I can strike at those enemies before they get that close to us…" I say dreamily, gazing at the stars too.

But to my surprise, Lightning suddenly tenses upon hearing that. I turn to look at her, confused. "What?"

"Just go to sleep first. I'll be back."

My eyes widen in surprise as Lightning stands up and begins walking away. "Wait, Light! Where are you going?" I ask her hurriedly.

"Nowhere far. Just sleep first, I'll be back." Lightning answers. Seeing that I am not convinced, she sighs. "I won't be going anywhere dangerous, Serah," she says again.

"Wait! Then I'm coming with you!" I say, starting to rise to my feet and chase after her.

"No, you go and sleep. It's way past your bedtime anyway," Lightning glares at me inarguably.

I pout. "Then how come _you_ can walk around this late at night?"

"Because I'm the older sister here, li'l sis," Lightning says in a one-plus-one-is-two tone before dashing away.

"H-Hey!" I didn't even get the chance to chase after her. She runs so fast, and a few seconds later she already disappears in the shadows of the ruins. I sigh. "What's with her? I'm not a little kid anymore!" I grumble.

But then, I'm kinda used to Lightning taking sudden decisions and acting immediately… Besides, she didn't look worried or wary, so I'm sure wherever it is she goes to is safe. Still grumbling, I reluctantly go into the building and sleep beside Vanille.

* * *

><p>"Serah! Serah! Wake up! You've got to see this! My, it is so… so… beautiful!"<p>

I wake up the next morning upon hearing Vanille's cheerful voice right beside me. I groan, opening my eyes and immediately see her smiling, enthusiastic face. It looks like something exciting just happened… "What is it?" I ask her, rubbing my eyes sleepily.

"Come! Come! You just _have _to see it for yourself!" Vanille laughs happily, pulling me up impatiently. With me still groggy, she drags me outside. Fang is standing beside the door, grinning at me when she sees us.

"You'd love it, missy," she smiles.

"Love what?"

Fang nods towards her right.

I turn around and see Lightning standing a few steps away, holding out her right hand towards me to give something. My eyes widen and my jaw drops slightly as I see the object in her hand.

In Lightning's hand, is a bow.

"Light… is… is that…?" I fumble on my words, unable to believe my eyes. I can hear Vanille's giggles going further, looks like she and Fang have left us to be alone.

Lightning shrugs, looking a little embarrassed. "You said you want to strike at enemies before they get too close… so I went to the arsenal and looked for bows. This is the best I could find, and it was still in a bad condition, so I… uh, fixed it a bit. It won't work like normal bows, but I hope you'd find it oka—"

Her words are cut abruptly when I rush in and hug her tightly, squeezing the air out of her lungs. "'Okay'? Lightning, it's so beautiful! Thank you!" I squeal happily, ignoring how undignified it may sound. Lightning simply smiles shyly, handing the bow to me. "Check it," she mumbles.

I hold the weapon carefully, examining it. It is a very large bow, almost as tall as me and dark purple in color with some tinge of red. Strangely, it is not heavy… I'm wondering how such a supposedly-old weapon can be this beautiful, but soon I realize that Lightning must have reconstructed it almost entirely using components we gathered. 'Fixed it a bit'? That's an understatement. What Lightning did was nothing near 'fixing a bit.' She's reconstructed the whole bow, using only the main structure and replacing the rest with our components. I mean, just look at the limbs! They are covered with the beautiful purple-and-red substance that doesn't even reduce their flexibility. To cover them so smoothly and perfectly like this… Lightning must have been working on it so long, paying attention to the finest of details.

But soon afterwards, I frown in confusion. Usually bows have one string, but this one… it has more than one. And all of those strings are already attached to a single large, thick metal arrow, which is also already stuck to the limbs. I frown again. How am I supposed to shoot it if the arrow is already attached to the whole bow? It can't even be released from the bow, it can only… slide back and fro with the string. Besides, there is only one arrow…

Seeing my confusion, Lightning approaches me. "I changed the structure of the bow too. Normal bows need arrows, and I don't think we'd have enough time to make them. Besides, you can easily run out of arrows during battles, so I think of other ways of using a bow without arrows."

Slowly, Lightning takes the bow from me. "I call this the 'thrower,'" she says, pointing at the attached arrow. Then she points at a red hook attached to it. "See this hook? You can pull the string and thrower using it," she says, demonstrating it. "And y'see this hole…"

I bend forward, and I can see that the thrower actually has a hole at its end, near the hook. I realize that it is actually hollow. An inspection at the other end of the thrower shows another hole too. So, this 'thrower' is actually something like a tube…

"You can channel your magic into the thrower. Then pull the strings, and release it. The magic will be projected, and you can immediately fill the thrower with the next spell," Lightning explains. She lifts the bow confidently before her and pulls at the hook. The strings are immediately drawn taut, the thrower coming into contact with her hand. Then Fire spell forms in her hand, immediately entering the thrower. After aiming carefully, Lightning releases her hold on the hook.

Without any noise, the thrower shoots forward along with the strings before bouncing back to its original position, stopped from being projected into the air by the same strings attached to it. But the thrower is not what I'm looking at. I am looking at the Fire spell Lightning has released into it, which is now being projected like an arrow itself into the distance. Now that's a perfect embodiment of 'fire arrow.'

The Fire spell, which normally occurs in a spherical shape, is now taking a long cylindrical shape; just like the thrower it has been passed through. This new shape enables the spell to shoot through the air very quickly like a real arrow, and gives it more penetrating force. It hits a tree far down the area, going through it like it is made of butter, leaving a smoking hole behind. I laugh in happiness, seeing just how powerful this new weapon is. It is way much better than the normal bow and arrows!

"Sis, I love you so much!" I jump onto Lightning, hugging her tightly again, ignoring her embarrassment. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! It is so perfect! I love it, Light! Thank you!" I keep screaming my gratitude for minutes. I can't believe this. Lightning actually made me a weapon! And she even modified it, creating a whole new type of bow for me! Really, she can never stop surprising me. This new type of bow has no drawbacks like the usual one. I can never run out of arrows, as long as I have my magic!

"Lightning, you're such a genius!" I laugh, ruffling her hair again like last night. Lightning laughs too at my childish enthusiasm, grabbing my hand to stop me. "I was only doing what I could," she shrugs my compliment off. I giggle. Typical Light.

"Are you sure I can take this, sis? I mean, it's so nice! And beautiful!" I ask, marveling at the way the purple-and-red limbs reflect the sunlight.

Lightning nods. "Sure. I made it for you anyway."

I grin at her. "Thank you Light! You have no idea how much this mean to me!"

"There's one condition, though," Lightning suddenly says, her expression turning serious. I look at her curiously. "What?"

"You have to find your reason to fight first. I don't want you to go jumping into fights just because you have that bow, nor because everyone else is fighting. I want you to find your own reason on why you fight," Lightning says sternly, her blue eyes glaring at me. I am somewhat surprised by this sudden change in topic.

"But, Light, I don't understand… What do you mean by 'reason'?"

Lightning shrugs. "Why you fight. Is it to protect someone? Is it to win something? Or to defeat somebody?"

I gape at her. I think I know where this is going to…

"I don't want you to fight just because you are feeling obliged, Serah. I don't want you to fight just because everyone else is. The thing is, every one of us already has our own reasons to fight. But you… All I can say is, so far you've kept fighting just because you want to aid us. But you don't seem to have a reason of your own…" Lightning trails off, gazing at the distance. Then her piercing eyes return to me again. "I want you to think it through. Find your own reason to fight, and don't just follow somebody else's. If you can't find it, then I'll take the bow back and I won't let you help us fighting Barthandelus."

"Light!" I yell at her, surprised. "Why is finding a reason so important? What if I can't find it yet before fighting Barthandelus, would you still take the bow back?"

Lightning's glare turns cold. "Yes."

I stare at her, surprised. My mouth can only form one question. "…Why?"

"Because fighting without reason's just a slow suicide," Lightning says. She sighs. Her expression turns solemn. "I don't want you to have to go through aimless fighting, Serah. Fighting sometimes can be one of those things you just do in life, but mostly it can't. You've got to have a reason. For me, I don't fight because I like it. I do it because I must. I have my own reason. Without it, I would've jumped into any fight I can find and end up with that ultimate retribution… committing a slow suicide…"

I can only stare at her. Her words finally sink into my mind, and I have to admit they are right. I nod. "I understand, Light. You have your own reason to fight, so I'll find mine, too! Don't worry!'

Lightning finally smiles after studying me for a while. "That's a good girl," she smirks, ruffling my hair now. I laugh.

"So, now," Lightning says with a smirk. "Don't you want to try out your new weapon?"

I hesitate for while, but then I remember how Lightning has sent that Fire arrow shooting through the sky and through that tree easily. Feeling enthusiasm pumping in my blood, I nod happily, grinning.

"Yep!"

With that, I lift up my new weapon and run towards a large group of Goblins wandering around the ruins.

I can hear Lightning following me from behind, but stops a few distance away. I think I see Fang approaching her, too, but I am too occupied with trying out my new weapon. Raising the bow, I carefully aim before shooting my first magical arrow.

* * *

><p>"Wow," Fang says in amusement. "She's really going all out, isn't she?"<p>

"Well, I bet she's been dying to get a chance to let out all the stress," Lightning replies.

Fang and Lightning are standing a few distance away from Serah, who is currently sending magical arrows exploding into a large group of Goblins in the distance using her new bow. At first she was a bit slow in releasing the magic arrows, but now she is already sending continuous chains of them. Arrows of all elements hit the Goblins, killing them in big explosions of utter annihilation. Especially when Serah uses the strongest elemental spells like Firaga and the other –ga spells. What makes them even more effective is the fact that those spells do not explode right away after being released from the bow, instead they shoot through the air first before exploding when they make contact.

"So, why a bow?" Fang asks, turning her gaze back to Lightning.

"She said she wants to attack the enemies before they get too close, that's why," Lightning answers.

Fang nods. "So you choose a long-ranged weapon for her. But I kinda think you might have another reason for choosing a bow, yea?" she looks sidelong at Lightning, smirking smugly.

"What?" Lightning asks, annoyed.

"You don't want her to get too close to danger as well. That's why you made her a bow: so she'd keep a distance from the enemies. Because bows aren't so effective when used close to the targets. They are long-ranged weapons, after all. Am I right?" This time Fang doesn't look at Lightning, but she is still smirking smugly. Lightning doesn't reply, she just lets out an annoyed grunt. But that's quite enough for Fang to know that she's right.

Fang laughs. "But anyway, you've made quite an amazing weapon. What are ya gonna name it?" she asks, turning towards Light.

Lightning shrugs. "I'll leave that to Serah."

"Hey, you can't do that! Weapons are supposed to be named by their creators!" Fang protests. "Isn't that how it works?"

"I don't see any need to," Lightning replies.

"Aww, come on, even yer gunblade has its name! Blazefire Saber, right? Come on, having a name is a joy for the weapon. Besides, it'll make the weapon more meaningful."

Lightning groans. She considers it for a while, thinking. Fang waits for her patiently, turning her gaze at Serah who looks like she's having the time of her life.

"…Morning Glory."

"Huh?"

"The name," Lightning says. "Morning Glory."

Immediately Fang grins. "Beautiful name ya've get there. Care to explain why? If I'm not wrong, I think Vanille's said before that it's the name of some kind of flower from Cocoon, right?"

Lightning nods. "Serah grows one of those flowers in our garden. They're purple too, and she likes watching them in the morning when there are still dews on their petals. She said they really represent morning: cheerful, fresh, beautiful… and like the waves of the new day, they clear all her gloom away."

Fang grins even wider. "Your sister has quite some taste for flowers, yea? I can never comprehend flowers to that extent."

"Neither can I," Lightning says, smiling faintly. "Besides, I finished making that bow in the morning. So I think the name's quite appropriate."

"It is appropriate," Fang says approvingly.

And although that time I am too busy raising havoc to hear them, but I've heard everything about the bow's name. And I must say I couldn't agree more to the name of the bow. I look at the beautiful weapon in my hand, so elegant and powerful. Morning Glory. I smile.

"Hello, Morning Glory. You'll live up to your name, I promise. We'll achieve glory in the battlefield together. And like the morning, your presence will clear all the gloom and doubts away from me during fights."

Smiling in satisfaction, I shoot another Blizzaga arrow at the last few Goblins, watching it explodes in their midst, piercing and killing them all.

So, now that I've mastered my new weapon, there's only one more thing to do: finding my reason to fight.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hi guys :D well, this is the first time I leave author's note, so I don't really know what to say... but I just wanna thank you all for your awesome reviews. Really, the reviews are the reason I can keep writing, especially since they can always boost my mood to write. Thank you, for taking the time to write those reviews. You guys are too kind! ^^_

_Umm, I think I must say sorry too if Serah gets a bit OOC in this fanfic. But I have a reason for that. I just don't like the in-game Serah, who seems to care more about Snow than Lightning who has sacrificed everything for her. That's just so sad and unfair for Light. That's why I write this fic, with Serah caring more about Light than Snow. And that's why you guys don't see him much ^^" I must say I don't like that guy very much. My mindset may sound immature, but hey, I totally love Lightning, I want her to be happy and I'm just unleashing my imagination here ^^ that's what fanfictions are all about in the first place, right? And that's what make them awesome :D_

_I'm sorry too if I update slowly, but I am usually smack dead by the homeworks and tests my teachers throw like confetti. Seriously, fifteen is the age when those teachers believe you can finish five homeworks a day with two tests coming on the next day OTL *headdesk* But don't worry, I'll keep updating since I like this fic too and even I want to read it ^^ So, thanks for your patience and for bearing with me, my lords and ladies :D_

_Once again, thanks for all your support and reviews. I really appreciate them. You guys are all awesome xD_


	26. Chapter 26

In the next few days, we just spend every moment we have training. While making our way to Oerba, of course. I can't say Fang and Vanille are very enthusiastic at the idea of having to fight in their hometown, which pretty much already lay in ruin. They are worried that there won't be anything else left of their home after the fight. Fang gets more and more grumpy the closer we get to Oerba, while Vanille grows more silent. The only thing that could lift up their mood was Lightning's suggestion that we bring the fight to the dilapidated bridge, the one that has collapsed anyway and won't get any more notable damage even if we go all out in the fight later. Of course, we can't be sure that we'd be able to fight there, but we can at least position ourselves at the bridge from the beginning so that Barthandelus would come to us there.

And about Fafnir… We have agreed that Lightning is our best swordsman, thus she will be the one wielding Fafnir during the fight. Lightning doesn't look to happy at the idea of not fighting with her gunblade, but there is no other choice. None of us is skilled enough with swords, so at the end Light reluctantly agrees.

And now we have arrived at Oerba. We set our basecamp at the building directly below the bridge, the one with the only connecting staircase to it. That way, we can quickly access the bridge should anything happen.

Since arriving, we spend everyday training. Snow trains alone while Sazh and I train together, since he can teach me useful things regarding long-ranged weapons such as aiming techniques. Hope and Vanille, meanwhile, train their magic together. But still, sometimes all of us get together in some kind of a 'mass training' and pass on new things we've learned. However, there are two people who never join in this kind of training. Lightning and Fang, of course. Each day, they train so hard by sparring with each other that they have no time to join us. Lightning uses Fafnir in those spars, trying to get herself used to the big sword; while Fang still sticks to her lance as usual. They spar so ferociously, I can almost feel their killer aura. Yet I know they will never actually hurt each other… not seriously, at least. Their spars often result in them getting cuts all over their arms, but some quick Cura spells are enough to seal the wounds.

Not only that, but Lightning and Fang also train together against monsters. And since that day, most monsters in the village disappear mysteriously. Only Light and Fang know about their fate, and the rest of us would rather not know about it.

As for me, other than training with Morning Glory every day, I also have the nagging need to think of my reason to fight. Because if I don't find it soon, Lightning will take Morning Glory back... I don't want to lose her not only because I wouldn't be able to join the fight against Barthandelus then, but also because I've grown very fond of her. She is extremely easy to use and powerful. I always get some satisfaction upon succeeding in defeating monsters I haven't been able to defeat solo before.

Actually I already have some ideas on why I fight… But the thing is, they sound a little childish. I am worried Lightning may find them ridiculous and not strong enough to be a reason to fight.

That's why, I spend the days training and the nights lying nervously pondering my reason to fight, without having the courage to tell Lightning. And without I know it, days pass.

* * *

><p><em>Oh shoot, what am I supposed to do? <em>

I can't believe tomorrow is the day when the sun will reach its solstice. Barthandelus is coming. Geez, it's so hard to believe we are finally going to fight him… after all the long mess we've gone through, we are now actually going to finally settle this. I really hope tomorrow will be the last time we see that cursed fal'Cie. We already have Fafnir, and if we succeed, he won't regenerate back to life. And Cocoon will be safe…

But what about us? Can we just go back to Cocoon and live normally like before? Well, I doubt so… I know Hope, Sazh, Snow and I want to go back to Cocoon, but Fang and Vanille… I'm quite sure they'd choose to stay in Gran Pulse. Lightning… well, I don't know. I don't think she's very fond of Cocoon, and I've seen her looking more relaxed in Pulse… She likes freedom, and the vast lands of Pulse give her just that. Besides, Fang and Vanille are her closest friends. The first ones, in fact... That's why, I wonder… will she go back to Cocoon, or choose to stay here with Fang and Vanille? Fang and Vanille will be more than glad to accept her, of course, but I don't know what I should do if she really chooses to stay in Pulse. Should I join her, or should I return to Cocoon?

These questions keep circling in my mind without answers. I huff. Well, at least now we should focus on the fight with Barthandelus first. There will be plenty of time to think about those questions after the fight. Provided we survive, of course... _Wait, what am I thinking!_

I shake my head hurriedly, trying to get rid of those doubts. Yet, I can't help but feeling a bit scared…

I stare emptily at the setting sun. Lightning and Fang are still sparring, only their silhouette can be seen in the reddish glow of the sunset. I have just finished training with Sazh, and Morning Glory is slung comfortably on my back now. Meanwhile, Hope, Snow and Vanille have finished their trainings a few minutes earlier. We are now sitting on the ground, each of us busy with our own thoughts. I'm sure everyone is nervous about tomorrow… Hope is playing subconsciously with his hands, Vanille is closing her eyes while humming, and Snow and Sazh simply stare at Lightning and Fang. I know that even Light and Fang must be nervous too. That's why they are sparring: to keep their minds occupied so they won't need to think about tomorrow. Lightning has said before that fighting can really keep your mind away from things you don't want to think about, since all you need to focus on during fights is simply surviving. Nothing else. Fang agrees with her too. Vanille, meanwhile, opts to just close her eyes and lose herself in memories of happier days.

Soon enough, Lightning and Fang finish their spar. We begin to eat dinner in silence. Everyone is abnormally quiet… Everyone is worried and tense. All of us just keep silent, staring at the dancing flames of our campfire.

"Well," suddenly Lightning huffs. "Tomorrow's the day."

All of us look at her, our expressions hollow with worry and nervousness.

Lightning continues. "We are all ready. We've trained as hard as we could, and we'd done everything we can possibly do. There's no room for doubt now. If anyone is still afraid of losing, if any of you still doubt yourself, then I'd rather you stay away from the fight tomorrow."

Vanille smiles upon hearing that. "Don't worry, Light, we know that. Like you said, we've done everything we could… there's simply no reason to run away now. Besides, it's better to fight and lose than give up without even trying, right, guys?"

"Yeah."

"Right."

All of us mumble our agreement. Even I feel somewhat better now. Vanile's right. We've come too far to quit now. I won't risk getting distracted and being a liability in the fight tomorrow just because I'm scared! Lightning's right, we just have to believe in ourselves and banish all the doubts away. Only then that we'd be able to give our all tomorrow. I smile faintly. Lightning really is amazing… even though her words are harsh, but they manage to banish all of ours fears and doubts away.

Fang grins too. "Don't you worry, Light. We'll give our best shots tomorrow!"

"And show that fal'Cie how human we still are!" Hope adds.

"Right. But for Etro's sake, don't do anything stupid," Lightning glares at all of us. "I don't want to lose anyone."

"Ha! Did we just witness Lightning's declaration of love towards us?" Fang suddenly shouts, pointing her finger accusingly at Light, smirking smugly. "Wow, so you _do _have a heart, Light!"

Her comment, coupled with Lightning's glare, finally manage to make us laugh and ease the tension. Everyone is smiling now, no longer pressurized by the daunting fight.

Well, we have indeed become very good friends. That'll give us at the very least the will to protect each other. And that, will in turn give us strength. We are family now. As long as we stick together, there's always hope that everything will work out for us. That's what I believe. I just feel so grateful and lucky to have these people by my side…

Then again, maybe we are attempting the impossible… but as Lightning said, we live to make the impossible possible. And even if we should fail and die, at least we'll die humans. We'll die protecting what's dear for us. We'll die fighting for our 'reasons to fight'. And just by doing that, already means that we control our fate.

"All of us have our own reason to fight. Just remember that reason to keep you going tomorrow," Lightning finishes. For a second her gaze meets mine, and I immediately make my decision. There's no more time. I have to tell her now. Glancing at the others, I can see that no one is feeling scared or doubtful anymore. Lightning's purpose has been met; she's done. A glance at her also enables me to see that she's satisfied at everyone's resolve now. I should talk to her now…

I stand up. "Light… can I talk to you for a while?"

Lightning looks up, immediately standing too. "Sure," she says, embedding Fafnir into the ground beside Fang's lance and walks away as I jog to follow her.

"Hey, be back soon, Farrons! We should rest early so we can be at our top conditions tomorrow!" Sazh yells at us. I give him and the others my thumbs up, before jogging away with Light.

I glance back. Everyone is smiling at us. Our best friends. I smile to myself. I'm sure of my reason to fight now.

Jogging faster to keep up with Lightning, we head for the old school's roof.

* * *

><p>This place is the most beautiful in Oerba. I look at the flowers, glowing red in the afterglow of the sun. Even now, when everything else in Oerba is already destroyed, the flowers still bloom beautifully, dancing in rhythm to the gentle wind. I bend down to stroke one of them with the tips of my fingers, feeling my own hair fluttering in the cool wind. And despite she remains quiet, I know Lightning likes it here, too. She is currently just staring at the flowers, her face stoic. I smile at her.<p>

"You did a good job boosting everyone's confidence," I say to Lightning, who merely scoffs.

"I didn't. I just told them what I think they need to know. But their resolve—they already have it from the beginning. Because they have their reasons to fight." Lightning says. Folding her arms, she looks at me. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

This is the time. I look straight into Lightning's eyes.

"I've found my reason to fight, sis," I tell her firmly.

Lightning stares back into my eyes, her gaze stern and inspecting. Her blue eyes search through my eyes, trying to find any speck of doubt. I keep staring back at her confidently. I've been thinking of my reason to fight for a while, and just now, after seeing everyone's smiles and resolves, I know it's a strong reason. And I will fight until I can achieve it.

Then suddenly, Lightning smiles faintly. She ruffles my hair, while I look at her in surprise.

"Sis?"

"I'm glad you've found your reason to fight, Serah. Now let's go back," she says, starting to leave.

I'm so shocked. "Wait! Lightning!" I shout hurriedly when I've regained speech. She stops, looking back at me curiously. "What?"

"Just… just like that? I thought you were going to interrogate me about my reason!" I ask her, confused.

Lightning just sighs. "I have no right to go asking people about their reasons, Serah. I don't even know what the others' reasons are. I simply know they have it… but still, I have no right to ask them. It's not like I'm their Commander or anything right?"

I stare at her for a while, before laughing. Typical Light… not wanting to meddle un-asked for with other people's business. She just wants to know if the others have reasons to fight and ensures their resolves, but she stops at that. She doesn't need to know what _exactly _their reasons to fight are.

"Hmm… but still, can I tell you mine, sis?" I ask. After all, I've been wanting to tell her…

"Only if you want to."

"It may sound a bit childish, so don't laugh, okay?" I threaten her playfully. But actually, I trust Lightning. I know she won't laugh. Lightning shrugs, turning around to listen to me.

"Actually, Light, it begins because I… have a dream." I begin timidly. "I want to be able to, one day, live peacefully with everyone. Fang, Vanille, Hope, Sazh, Snow, you… You guys are the best people I ever meet in my life, and I want to be able to live normally with you all, without having to worry about fights. I want to just have fun and enjoy each other's company. To make that dream come true… is why I fight," I finish, looking shyly up at Lightning.

"I know, it's childish, isn't it?" I laugh. "But really, I want that dream to come true. And it won't come true as long as Barthandelus is still around to mess with us, that's why I will give my best to bring him down tomorrow!"

Lightning simply looks at me thoughtfully. "It's not childish at all… I think it is a beautiful dream," she says. Even though her words are simple, but I know she means it. I laugh happily, running to hug her. "You think it's reason enough to fight?" I ask.

Lightning smirks. "So technically you fight to end the fight. Sounds strong enough of a reason for me… I'm proud of you, Serah."

I beam back at Lightning. Wow, that went easier than I thought! Now that Lightning approves of it, there's nothing else I fear. Tomorrow I will fight, with Morning Glory by my side, to strive to achieve that dream.

"We've come through a lot, right, sis?" I look up to stare into her cerulean eyes. In the reddish afterglow, they look somewhat purple now.

"Yeah…" Lightning answers, looking up to gaze at the sky. "We just can't let all of those go to waste, can we?" she asks, looking back into my eyes.

"Nope!" I answer. "And now that I have Morning Glory, I'll be able to watch out for you too, Light," I say, tugging at my bow's string.

Lightning smiles. "And I'll watch out for you too, li'l sis."

Those words really reassured me. I feel safe now… Despite I know tomorrow we'll face a big fight, but I have my sister and friends around me. We'll look after each other. We'll be okay… and afterwards, maybe my dream will really come true and we wouldn't have to fight anymore.

Smiling contentedly, I begin walking back towards the others, holding Lightning's hand. No more doubt. No more fear. Tomorrow, is the day when we'll decide our fates.

* * *

><p>Morning arrives. As the sun moves slowly to its solstice, we prepare ourselves on the dilapidated bridge. We stand in one line, waiting for our nemesis' arrival. I look at the clear blue sky, at the clouds drifting peacefully, at the sun shining brightly... And in our silence, I can even hear faintly the sound of the waves under the bridge, driven by the wind blowing refreshingly. Today is such a beautiful day… Can't believe we are actually going to fight… I glance at the others. Their stances are tense, contrasting with our peaceful surroundings, confirming the soon-to-happen fight. But fortunately, everyone looks ready. Snow is cracking his fists, Hope is swinging his boomerang, Sazh and Vanille are checking their guns and rod respectively. I glance at Fang, who is currently ensuring her lance is in top condition by splitting it into three and moving each section for a while, before combining them again. I tug at Morning Glory's string, ensuring it is working perfectly as well. Satisfied with her condition, I check the Potions and status-ailment removers in my pockets. We have divided all our supplies equally so everyone can use the Potions should anything go wrong later and there is no time to wait for the Medics. We have agreed that Vanille should be a permanent Medic, with Hope and me acting as reserves if the fight proves to be more damaging. I sigh, feeling the tension in the air. I shake my head a little, trying to get rid of the nagging feeling of nervousness. I shouldn't be thinking like that!<p>

But when the nervousness doesn't ease, I give up on trying to control it. I glance to my left, trying to get some confidence by looking at Lightning who is standing beside Fang. And I immediately feel better.

Lightning is standing proudly, Fafnir glimmering under the sunlight in her right hand. She grips it firmly, and I can see faintly the engraving on its hilt appearing under the sunlight. Looking back up to Lightning's face, I see silent determination, confidence and calmness in her ice cold azure eyes. Right. I have no reason to be afraid. Not while all my friends are standing by my side. Besides, _she _is here. As long as I'm with her, I need not fear anything.

I keep my gaze at Fafnir afterwards, marveling at its almost-transparent blade. It is a beautiful sword…

Then suddenly Fafnir's blade flares bright, hundreds of tongues of flame bursting from the sun symbol and flares along the blade, the engravings appearing like embers.

!

"He's here!" Lightning shouts, immediately taking her fighting stance.

"About damn time!" Fang shouts, smirking fiercely. Her tongue licks her lips hungrily, her lance shining, demanding blood.

I immediately draw Morning Glory's string taut, inserting a Firaga spell into the thrower, preparing to shoot it at a moment's notice. Glancing at the others, I can see everyone is ready for the fight too. Glancing skywards, I can see the sun already reaching its solstice…

Then a familiar laughter booms.

"Hahahahaha! Pitiful l'Cie, do you really think you can defeat me? Not in a million years!"

There he is.

Barthandelus explodes into existence right in front of us. He is no longer wearing his human form, instead he is already in his true form as a fal'Cie. His massive hands slam the ground, sending the earth trembling under his power. His face has his twisted smile on and his merciless eyes glint, demanding nothing but pain and suffering. I shudder a little upon seeing him finally looming right in front of us, but quickly get a hold of myself by focusing with Morning Glory's comforting presence in my hands.

Now or never. Today, we will decide our fate.

"You know what to do!"

With that shout from Lightning, all of us release our attacks.

"You're gonna squirm!" Fang shouts, totally going all out by releasing Highwind right onto Barthandelus' head. Stepping backwards, I shoot Firaga right onto his eyes, followed by Sazh's barrage of bullets and Hope's spells. Those attacks don't seem to hurt Barthandelus, but at least they've created some chaos right in front of his face, preventing him to see. Barthandelus roars, slamming his right hand down, trying to create a Quake to hit us all. But nothing happens. Still unable to gain all visibility after the barrage of attacks, Barthandelus bellows and looks down, perplexed. His gaze meets Snow's smirking face as he stands guard as a Sentinel directly below the fal'Cie's fist, preventing the fall of that devastating attack.

Everything's going according to plan! Now she only needs to…

I glance to my left, right to see Lightning dashing towards Barthandelus, Fafnir raised high beside her.

Barthandelus' cold eyes widen as Lightning suddenly appears in front of him through the smoke, wielding the flaring Fafnir. I see a twinkle of something in his eyes, and I couldn't believe it.

_Was it fear?_

Then Lightning slashes Barthandelus' face with Fafnir.

"She hit him!" Fang shouts, fierce glee on her face.

We can see Barthandelus managed to dodge the attack a little, but it wasn't enough. Fafnir slashed through his face right below his eyes, burning its fiery way across his skin and we can see clearly that his skin has been torn, in contrast to our previous attacks that didn't even leave a mark on him. Fafnir really is working!

"Aaagh!"

My eyes immediately snap back to Lightning and immediately widen in horror. Lightning seems to be in pain! What… what happened? It was Barthandelus who got hit, not her!

Ignoring those questions for now, I hurriedly shoot a chain of spells towards Barthandelus, who has seemed to recover and is making his way towards the currently-vulnerable Lightning.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Fang shouts, dashing towards Lightning and attacks Barthandelus' hand that almost hit Light. Snow, Sazh and Hope immediately dash in to help Fang, attacking the hand to stop its fall. Vanille, meanwhile, is sending a Cure spell for Lightning.

"Fall back!" Fang shouts, grabbing Lightning and drags her away from Barthandelus. The others follow her example, retreating and stopping beside me and Vanille who stand furthest from Barthandelus due to our long-ranged attack methods.

"Light, what happened? What's wrong!" Fang shakes Lightning's shoulder. I hurriedly approach them with Vanille, extremely worried.

"I… my hands…" Lightning struggles to say.

"What?" Fang frowns, bending down to remove Lightning's gloves, drawing a wince from her.

We look down in disbelief at Lightning's hands. Portions of the skin on the back of her hands have disappeared, her bloodied flesh showing through. The wounds have begun to close due to Vanille's Cure, but the healing is slow.

"What… happened…?" Hope asks, terrified.

Right then, Barthandelus' laughter booms again. His face is still torn from Lightning's attack, but the damage doesn't seem to be big.

"You! What did you do to her?" Sazh shouts, shooting his bullets at Barthandelus.

Barthandelus ignores Sazh's bullets, they hit his hands yet without showing any damage.

"I? I didn't do anything. She brought that onto herself!" he answers, laughing again as he looks at Lightning.

"What…?"

"Oh, miserable lives, don't you know?" Barthandelus asks again, this time looking amused. "Don't you understand Fafnir's power?"

"Quit the riddles and explain!" Fang shouts furiously, only to be replied by a mocking laughter.

"You mean you don't know? Oh, for beings so confident of themselves, I would have thought you knew better. What a disappointment."

"I said, explain yourself!" Fang growls, sending a Ruinga directly towards Barthandelus. But then again, he merely waves his hand and the spell explodes without creating any damage.

"Every great power comes with a price," Barthandelus says, smirking. "As well as Fafnir's. It's true that he is the only sword capable of killing me, but don't you think it's normal for a power as great as his to demand something in return?"

"You mean…"

Barthandelus laughs. "'Turn falsehood to ashes, with pain as the offering' is what's written on the blade. I'm not surprised you couldn't understand the words. But you should've understood by now! Every time you strike me with that sword, your own flesh will be devoured by the sword, and slowly you'll turn into ashes as well!"

I can't believe my ears. Fafnir will devour the wielder's flesh as well…?

The others are as devastated as me; they stare at Barthandelus, frowning in worry and disbelief.

"No way…" Vanille whimpers.

_What are we supposed to do now?_

But then, suddenly Lightning rises to her feet again, grabbing Fafnir from the ground without hesitation.

"Light!" Fang turns to look at her in disbelief.

"There's no way we are giving up now! We've gone through too much to be here!" Lightning growls back, swinging Fafnir angrily. "Didn't you see? Fafnir cut through him easily while our normal attacks fail! It's the only way we can win!"

"But… your hands…" Vanille whimpers.

"Not to worry. He said it himself, Fafnir only kills slowly. If we defeat him fast, Fafnir won't have the time to inflict me much damage. I can handle some sting," Lightning says, her eyes glaring dangerously.

"But, Light…" Hope begins, but Lightning cuts him.

"Some things in life you just do, right? There is no time for doubt, guys. Either we finish it today, or risk losing more lives if we back off now. Don't you see? We can't give up now. It's not an option."

We stare at each other desperately. I've seen Lightning's eyes and I know she has made her decision…

"Are you sure about this, Light?" Fang demands.

"I am."

Fang sighs. "Alright then… do as you like…" she glances at the rest of us, who merely shrug in defeat. If Lightning already made her decision, nothing we say will make any changes.

We begin to rise back to our feet, gripping our weapons tighter.

"At least let me heal your hands first, Light," Vanille says, a Cure spell forming in her hand.

"Save it. If what he says is true, then my skin will just keep disappearing until we manage to kill him. Healing it now won't make much difference then… Besides, the others may need your Cure more later," Lightning responds, moving away from Vanille to stand beside Fang.

I stare at her worriedly, still unable to completely digest this horrible fact. All I could say to her is "Be careful, Light…"

Lightning turns to look at me, smiling faintly. "Always. Back us up with Morning Glory, will ya?"

With that, Lightning, Fang and Snow dash towards Barthandelus again.

"Ooh, finally deciding to murder yourselves?" Barthandelus scoffs, grinning in fierce happiness. _Come to your demise! Foolish child. Everything's going according to my plan—now I only have to defend and prolong the fight until you succumb to Fafnir's power!_

And so, the fight resumes; Sazh, Hope and I shooting our attacks at Barthandelus, backing up our frontline friends who are fighting a few meters ahead of us.

Just then, Barthandelus opens his fists and shoots his devastating area attack: Baptism in Ruin.

"Never recalled asking to be baptized by you!" Fang shouts angrily, quickstepping backwards to avoid the rain of Ruin spells. She hurriedly casts Shell on herself, while Snow and Lightning are doing the same while dodging. The attack covers a wider region, some of the Ruin spells even reach us at the backline. We quickly cast Shells too, parrying the attacks.

As soon as I recover, I quickly shoot more spells, trying to distract Barthandelus from Lightning, Fang and Snow. However, I scowl as my effort seems to be useless. But then, in our previous fight with Barthandelus this also happened… although he looks invincible at the beginning, but if we keep attacking, he will succumb. Sounds easy enough, if only he can't release those devastating Baptisms in Ruin.

But soon enough, despair begins to creep into our hearts. Barthandelus is not letting any attack hit his head anymore; he is blocking our attacks with his enormous hands. Fang, Snow and Lightning have been pummeling at his hands for a while, trying their best to dodge his attacks at the same time. But at that close of a distance to the enemy, they still suffer some hits. Vanille is working feverishly now, sending healing spells at them while Sazh casts buffs for all of us. Snow has been hit square by Barthandelus' fist, and he seems to have suffered broken bones that Vanille is trying her best to heal. Fang's leg is scorched from another Baptism in Ruin attack, but she still looks well enough to keep attacking. Hence, Vanille sets her priority on Snow who has fallen. Meanwhile, Lightning isn't in a very good condition either. She has indeed managed to parry all attacks and hit Barthandelus a few times with Fafnir, but the repercussions are working on her too. Crimson blossoms through her fingers now, creeping to her wrist and some parts of her left forearm even already begun to have the skin disappearing. But still, Lightning attacks ferociously at Barthandelus, her eyes glaring with anger as she tries to distract him from Snow.

"Hope, Serah, I need help!" Vanille shouts in panic when Fang gets hit by Barthandelus' hand, his claws tearing through her body. Immediately I aim at Fang and shoot Curaga, along with Hope, while Vanille still focuses on Snow. Sazh is casting Haste on us, providing some help.

We struggle to heal our friends as fast as possible, since Barthandelus has begun moving towards Fang, trying to gain advantage from her current injury.

"Never turn your back on the enemy!" I hear Lightning roars as she charges at Barthandelus' turned back. Barthandelus' eyes widen, he tries to quickly move away but Lightning is faster.

Fafnir stabs through Barthandelus' left shoulder, embedding itself deeply. Barthandelus roars in pain as Lightning slash the sword downwards, slicing his shoulder open. His left hand drops limply to the ground, but soon Lightning's pained cry joins Barthandelus'. I can see clearly the skin on her right forearm dissolving into air, flesh and blood visible in their absence.

"No!" Vanille shouts, desperately sending a couple more Cure spells to Snow before sending some to Lightning. "They are all vulnerable!"

All our frontline attackers have fallen. Barthandelus is still writhing in pain after being slashed by Lightning, but he seems to have begun to recover. His eyes shine furiously, his right fist slamming the ground in anger. The Quake hit us all, and I can feel some sort of pain in my legs. But I ignore it, focusing on keep sending spells to Fang. But at this rate, Barthandelus will attack someone!

True enough, soon Barthandelus turns his glare at Snow who is closest to him, since Lightning has managed to stagger away.

"Oh no, you won't!" Sazh suddenly shouts.

"Brynhildr!"

I am too busy concentrating on healing, but I can feel the heat of Brynhildr's flames as she explodes into existence behind me.

And without any of us managing to stop him, Sazh has ridden on Brynhildr in her Gestalt Mode, driving as fast as possible towards Barthandelus.

"Sazh, be careful!" Vanille shouts, but it is too late.

One second later, Sazh crashes Brynhildr right onto Barthandelus, stopping him from attacking Snow. Not only that, but she also manages to throw the fal'Cie back, her flames bursting all around his body.

"Sazh! Get back here!"

We've seen him getting thrown from Brynhildr as she crashes, and it seems Brynhildr has protected Sazh from the explosion and impact force before she disappears. Sazh hurriedly retreats back towards us, sending a couple of buffs to our frontline fighters. They have regained their ground now, thanks to Sazh and Brynhildr's attack on Barthandelus.

Lightning, Snow and Fang stand up again, nodding their thanks towards us before charging back at Barthandelus' fallen form without giving him any chance to recover from Brynhildr's attack. We sigh in relief, beginning to heal our own injuries from the previous Quake attack. And despite we have begun to feel weary, but as they say, no rest for the weary. This may be our big chance, Barthandelus is down!

"Get away from him, everyone!" Hope suddenly shouts. Lightning, Fang and Snow immediately move back, skidding into a halt beside us. Meanwhile, Hope is preparing his attack.

"Alexander!"

I stare at Hope, a little surprised. Second use of Eidolon, so soon after the previous? But I can't complain. Even I know how strong Hope's Eidolon is, and now really is a good chance to strike, considering Barthandelus hasn't regained his ground. He is still writhing in pain, the remnants of Brynhildr's flames distracting him from us.

Then Alexander arrives, landing on the ground with a heavy boom. We stagger a little at his sheer power.

"Get him!"

With that command from Hope, Alexander dashes towards Barthandelus. He looks up at the Eidolon, his eyes widening in hatred. But before he can even regain his ground, Alexander has slammed his fist directly onto Barthandelus.

CRACK!

"Whoa!"

The power of Alexander's attack has cracked the bridge, but he still hasn't stopped. He keeps punching Barthandelus repeatedly. The fal'Cie tries to defend himself using his hands, but that doesn't stop Alexander from hitting him. With a roar, Barthandelus' right hand shoots up and wraps itself around Alexander's head, trying to throw him away. They continue struggling against each other in a duel of strength. While they are tied in the duel, we quickly use the time to heal, while still encouraging Alexander.

"Go, Alexander!"

"Beat him into pulp!"

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

As Alexander's punches continue, the bridge begins to shake dangerously. We look around worriedly. Then suddenly, a loud crack and explosion echo through the air.

Alexander's punches have beaten Barthandelus so badly; their impact even goes through his body and onto the bridge. Deep cracks spread like spider webs on the ground around his body, trembling terrifyingly.

WHAM!

With that final punch, Alexander creates a dent on Barthandelus' body, at the same time creating a massive crater under his body. The crater is so deep it almost goes all the way through the bridge; yet right then, Barthandelus' claws ripped through Alexander's throat, and he immediately shatters into nothingness. But still, he's done his job well.

We quickly dash back in as Barthandelus' hand grips the edge of the crater, trying to hoist himself back up.

This is our chance! Barthandelus is panting, growling in pain after Alexander's previous attacks. His body has been damaged quite badly, we can even see his chest cracking on the spot where Alexander's punches hit him the most. Other than that, his left arm is drooping limply after Lightning's previous attack.

"Strike!"

Cold Blood, Last Resort, Sovereign Fist, Highwind and Wrath of Heavens strike Barthandelus at the same time, powered by various buffs Vanille and I cast on our friends.

_He's losing! _I think in relief as I see the attacks hit Barthandelus' body square.

But soon my relief turns into horror when Barthandelus roars.

"INSOLENT CREATURES!" Barthandelus roars in fury, his fists slamming the ground. We quickly brace for the Quake, but it is far more powerful than the usual one. It even sends us tumbling, giving Barthandelus time to recover.

"How dare you attack me like that… chaining your attack one after another, you are no difference than a swarm of bees!" Barthandelus roars again, the gash on his left shoulder not stopping him from slamming his fists even harder to the ground.

"Then we'll sting you to death!" Lightning shouts, somersaulting over the ground to avoid the Quake and strikes Barthandelus' hand, stopping him from releasing another Quake.

"Gah!" Barthandelus cries out in pain as Fafnir slashes through his hands. He looks down at Lightning furiously, his eyes turning red with anger.

"You…" he is too angry to say anything, and resorts to roaring again. "ENOUGH!"

With that, Barthandelus releases his Tharnatosian Laughter.

"Argh!"

The attack sends all of us flying through the air. I can feel my back slamming hard into the ground as I land roughly, stars exploding within my vision from the crash. The others are falling around me, grunting.

Barthandelus staggers his way towards us, still releasing Quakes with his fists. I struggle to stand up, ignoring the pain in my back, casting as many healing spells as possible for the others. But then, I look up and feel nothing but despair.

Baptism in Ruin.

The attack hits us all full-force, explosions fill the air. I hear my own voice screaming as the spell explodes right on me, feeling my skin tear open and my bones cracking. The pain is so immense, it prevents me from moving. I can only wait until the torture is over.

* * *

><p>"Fools. You have dared to injure me, your fal'Cie! Now pay the price!"<p>

Lightning can hear Bathandelus' voice shouting arrogantly amidst the pain. She knows some of her bones must be broken; there is no other explanation to the immense pain that prevents her from moving. But still, she won't just lie here doing nothing!

Lightning forces herself to reach into her leg pouch, holding in the searing pain in her bloodied arm as it grits against the ground. By pure luck she is still holding on to Fafnir, but the thought of having to use it again already cause Lightning's arms to throb in protest.

_This kind of sting is nothing! _Lightning scolds herself angrily. _You've survived Yojimbo's blade. This is nothing!_

Gritting her teeth, Lightning forces her hand to obey her and grabs a few Potions altogether, downing them without delaying anymore. Soon she feels her energy returning, the pain from her broken bones disappearing. But her hands still throb, her skin showing little signs of healing. _Tch._

Ignoring her arms, Lightning hurries to stand up, seeing her friends scattered all around her. Everyone's down, grunting and groaning in pain. Fang has seemed to drink some Potions like her, but the others…

Cursing, Lightning turns to ensure Barthandelus is still quite a distance from them. They are lucky his attacks have thrown them away from him, providing them with some time to recover. Without hesitating, Lightning dashes towards Serah, lifting her torso up. Her sister opens her eyes, groaning in pain softly. Lightning can feel her heart boils with rage.

_Barthandelus, you'll pay for this…_

Lightning quickly takes the Potions from Serah's pocket, giving them for her to drink. Soon her sister's eyes snap open, and she stirs. Lightning helps her up, before dashing to help Sazh. Meanwhile, Serah is helping Hope, Fang is helping Vanille and Snow.

Soon everyone is back on their feet, trembling slightly. The Potions had not been enough to heal all of their wounds, considering the powerful attacks they've suffered.

_We can't let this battle drags longer._

Even though they are not in a very good condition, but the same thing applies to Barthandelus as well. He is staggering slightly, his body shaking. Cuts and cracks fill his body and his head is drooping slightly.

* * *

><p>After that, what happens next is a blurry, desperate chain of fighting. Barthandelus keeps releasing his area attack like Baptism in Ruin and Tharnatosian Laughter, preventing us from reaching him and also damaging us badly. Hope and I have stopped attacking now and are constantly working on healing everyone, especially our frontline attackers. But still, the rate at which we are getting hurt is faster than our healing rate. I can feel the familiar feeling of my magic depleting…<p>

_No way… we have to finish him off soon…!_

Lightning, Fang and Snow are already in a bad condition. Snow's head is bleeding, result of him getting slashed by Barthandelus' claws. Fang is suffering broken ribs after being hit by Barthandelus. And Lightning's right forearm has turned to a mass of blood with no more skin left due to her fighting continuously with Fafnir.

And Sazh has fallen. His body has been scorched after receiving a full-blown Ruinga from Barthandelus. We have healed him, but it is not enough… He is still unconscious, but luckily his breathing is even. With some rest, he'll be okay, but that's not a luxury we currently have. Vanille, Hope and I are still focusing on the frontline and keeping ourselves alive while Barthandelus keeps attacking. We know he is hurt badly too and is getting desperate, but that doesn't mean his attacks are losing strength.

_Why hasn't he died?_

"Ugh!"

I look up in terror as Snow's body flies past us. Barthandelus has hit him square on his chest, sending him flying a few meters away. No doubt, his ribs are broken! If we don't hurry, they may puncture his insides…

Glancing at Hope, I see him nodding at me. I understand his signal, and continue healing Fang and Lightning with Vanille while Hope dashes to Snow's rescue. Two of us are already down…

I can see Lightning and Fang's faces twist in anger as they turn to look at the defeated Snow. Upon seeing Hope aiding him, they immediately look back at Barthandelus, continuing their attacks. I am sure they are affected by Snow and Sazh's defeat, but they can't let those emotions distract them right now. I bite down my lips to stop tears of desperation from falling as I see another Quake hits us.

* * *

><p><em>Damn fal'Cie! <em>Lightning curses as she continues attacking Barthandelus, despite each slash she inflicts on him feels like being inflicted on herself. Fafnir keeps devouring her flesh, and her entire right arm stings so badly that it has become very difficult to even hold Fafnir. Lightning has tried using her right hand and left hand alternately, but it is difficult since Barthandelus is attacking so ferociously that there is simply no time for that. Gritting her teeth, Lightning tries her best to ignore the pain and keeps gripping Fafnir, despite her trembling hands.

Beside her, Fang isn't in a very good condition either. Her broken ribs have reduced her mobility greatly, reducing her ability to dodge effectively. She has been hit a few more times and Lightning can only struggle to strike Barthandelus harder every time Fang gets hit, trying to lure him away from her battle partner. Fang is clearly staggering and panting now, clutching her ribs. If this continues, she would fall too!

Meanwhile, the Medics are doing their best to heal the injured. But Lightning knows that even they are experiencing casualties too, judging from the occasional screams of pain. A quick glance enables her to see that Hope is losing much blood from a cut on his head, a result of him being too busy healing Snow and not noticing an attack coming his way. Vanille and Serah are not injured yet, but they already look so pale and drained. Doubtlessly, their magic is getting drained faster than ever. They are staggering now, their exhaustion making them unable to react quickly to attacks. Lightning fears that Barthandelus may attack them, so she struggles to keep Barthandelus' attention on herself. Beside her, Fang is doing the same, trying to lure him away from their loved ones.

Then suddenly Lightning's arms throb so painfully, causing her to wince in pain. It is just a split-second of distraction, but Barthandelus already takes advantage of it.

"Light, watch out!" Fang shouts. Lightning looks up and sees Barthandelus' Baptism in Ruin about to rain down on her. There is simply no time to dodge anymore.

_Damn. _

Lightning braces herself for impact.

* * *

><p>Fang growls, seeing that it is too late for Lightning to dodge the attack. She has been distracted, probably from the wounds on her arms from Fafnir.<p>

_No way. We can't lose Light now. It would be the same as losing! Then we will all… perish…_

A twinkle of light appears in Fang's eyes as she makes her decision. Without further ado, she bolts forward.

* * *

><p>Lightning is ready for the impact, but then she feels something tackling her from the left. The force sends her tumbling to the right, away from the fall of the Baptism in Ruin.<p>

"No! Fang!"

Lightning quickly rolls back, knowing that Fang has been the one to tackle her away from the attack. But a tackle like that, when the attack has almost hit… Fang must have been hit instead!

Lightning turns right to see Fang getting hit full force by Baptism in Ruin. Her cry of pain fills the air, her body jerking uncontrollably in the explosions.

Lightning roars in anger, charging at Barthandelus. She knows she shouldn't attack so carelessly like that, but she has no choice. Fang has protected her, and now Barthandelus is making his way towards her fallen battle partner, ready to punch her to death. There is no way Lightning is going to let that happen, not after what Fang has done for her! Dashing forward, Lightning ignores her arms' protests and raises Fafnir in front of her, blocking Barthandelus' punch that was directed at Fang.

* * *

><p>"No!"<p>

Vanille's tortured cry pierces my ear as she sees Fang getting hit by the powerful attack. I let out a small cry, before struggling to send yet more healing spells at her, along with Vanille. _This can't be happening! _

But there isn't even any time for us to breathe before more hell breaks loose. Barthandelus is trying to punch Fang!

"Fang!" Vanille shouts, dashing forward automatically towards her best friend. I follow her immediately, but I know we won't make it at this rate!

Then suddenly Lightning appears from beneath the smoke, Fafnir raised in front of her as she blocks Barthandelus' attack for Fang.

"Light!"

I can only shout her name as I see Lightning being hit. The punch did not hit her directly because she manages to block it with Fafnir, but the strength still sends her staggering.

Then Barthandelus' laughter breaks, sending chills to my spine.

"See you later, Farron," Barthandelus says, an evil grin spreading through his face.

* * *

><p><em>Damn. Wrong move again, <em>Lightning curses as she feels Barthandelus' punch hits her badly, breaking through her defense and causing her to stagger. Then she hears him laughing, before his words come.

"See you later, Farron."

Lightning looks up into Barthandelus' eyes and see that she is in deeper water than she calculated. And once again, she can't dodge the upcoming attack.

_I can't let Fang's sacrifice goes to waste!_ Lightning thinks as she glances at her fallen battle partner.

But then Barthandelus' hand catches her, slamming her hard directly to the ground.

"Agh!"

Lightning cries out in pain as her body crashes through the bridge, feeling her bones snapping and breaking in the tremendous force. But before pain even washes through her, Barthandelus adds more pressure and Lightning feels her body going all the way through the bridge until she feels nothing else beneath her but air. Then gravity takes hold of her limp body.

* * *

><p>I stare in horror as Barthandelus catches Lightning and mercilessly slams her to the ground, right into the crater created when Alexander has punched him before. Immediately that part of the bridge collapses under the force, and Lightning is falling right through it.<p>

"No! Lightning!"

I force my legs to run faster, but it is too late. Before I can reach her, Lightning's limp body has disappeared from my sight, falling directly towards the crashing waves below.

"Nooooo!"

_No... this can't be true…Not again…! _Flashes of memory burst in my head, memories of Lightning's body falling away from my reach, stabbed by Yojimbo's blade…

_No! Why am I always late? Why can't I ever save her?_

Tears begin to form in my eyes.

All of them… are defeated… There is no way we can defeat Barthandelus with only the Medics standing! My eyes begin to close in despair.

_If you want to survive, forget about emotions and just do whatever you can. _

My eyes snap back open when I remember those words from Lightning.

_She's right. Lightning wouldn't want me to just cry and do nothing!_

Ignoring the numbness I've felt upon seeing Lightning falling away from my grasp, I quickly run towards Fang with Vanille. Barthandelus is still standing a few meters away, laughing in fierce happiness. We quickly use the time to drag Fang out of there, sending her a few spells as she groans in pain.

"That's enough! I'm fine!"

Vanille and I stop, startled, when Fang suddenly stands up.

"But, Fang, we are not finished…"

"No time for that! We've got to get outta here!" Fang snaps back, this time dragging us away from Barthandelus. I can't take it anymore.

"Fang… Lightning is…!" I begin, but Fang shushed me.

"I know! But there's nothing we can do for her right now! If Light's here, she would want us to save ourselves first, right? So forget about her and run for your lives!" Fang growls.

And despite I know the truth of her words, I can't help but feeling more tears falling.

_No… Lightning can't be… She can't just…_

I struggle to blink away the tears angrily, trying my best to concentrate on saving ourselves. Especially now, when Barthandelus has begun attacking us with Baptism in Ruin again.

Once we arrive safely at Snow, Sazh and Hope's place, immediately the image of Lightning's limp body, falling away from my grasp appears again. The glimpse of the crashing waves I've seen below the bridge, the image of her body breaking through the surface and never coming back up again…

"Light…" I can hear Vanille is whimpering softly beside me too.

Despite all that, I can only feel numbness now… My brain still cannot digest what has just happened. Maybe that's better though, since I'm sure when my brain works properly again I wouldn't have had any strength to fight anymore. But for now, I can still grit my teeth and sends healing spells at Fang.

Fang stares at Barthandelus, her gaze furious. Seeing her battle partner being removed from the fight in an attempt to shield her, right after she has tried to protect her first… it must have been an extremely bad irony, a sick joke she can't take.

Fang roars angrily. She tries to charge again at Bartahndelus, but her body won't obey her. She falls back to her knees. "Ugh!"

"Fang!"

Vanille and I hurry to heal her, panic rising in our hearts. Fang still can't move, Hope is already unconscious from loss of blood and Barthandelus is approaching us! And the others are also… down…

* * *

><p>Barthandelus looks down, satisfied, at the remaining l'Cie trying desperately to heal themselves. See, fighting while trying to protect others is foolish… Look at what has happened to that Farron. Stupid decision, dashing to shield her friend who fell first protecting her! What did she do that for anyway? Returning the favor?<p>

_If I were you, _Barthandelus thinks in amusement, _I would've let my friend protect me and die doing it. It's her own choice after all._

_So now, I only have to clean off the remaining bugs. Heh, I didn't even have to use that last resort…_Barthandelus thinks smugly as he begins to move towards the desperate group of l'Cie, rising his hands to strike the lives out of them.

But when he thought everything is already over, a shadow dawns upon him from behind. He looks up, and his eyes widen in horror.

* * *

><p><em>It's over, <em>I think grimly. _Nothing is right anymore. Everyone's down, and even Vanille and I can't keep this up much longer… _

I look up blankly at Barthandelus, seeing his satisfied, arrogant grin spreading across his face. His fist rises, ready to kill us all.

_All the pain we've endured was for nothing at the end…_

I close my eyes, readying for the killing blow.

But to my surprise, what comes is not a painful strike. Instead, a white flash appears, so bright that I can even see it through my closed eyelids.

_What?_

Looking up, I will never forget the relief that surge through me.

Barthandelus is turning his face away from us, staring dreadfully at something rising from behind him. The sun is shining right behind the creature, turning its features into silhouette.

But I can never mistake that form.

_Odin!_

Right, Odin is jumping into the air from behind Barthandelus, the sun reflecting brightly from his white armor. That is where the earlier flash came from! I've never felt more relieved upon seeing the white knight's arrival than now. I quickly glance about, my eyes fixed on the silhouette of the person holding on to Odin's arm.

_Light!_

Without giving Barthandelus any chance to react, Odin swings his arm forward, launching Lightning straight towards the fal'Cie. Her body is all soaked, her wet hair clinging to her face, but her eyes are still shining ferociously as they glare into Barthandelus' eyes; and Fafnir is still gripped tight in her hand. I can see her arms are still bleeding, but it looks like Odin has healed all the other injuries she's sustained from crashing through the bridge earlier.

"Get 'im, Light!" Fang shouts fiercely, her relief showing clearly in her glimmering eyes. Vanille is shouting too, her voice higher than usual with relief.

And so, Lightning lands right on Barthandelus ' back, slashing his neck mercilessly.

* * *

><p>"Let's get the others to safety first!"<p>

With that command from Fang, I quickly move back and help her and Vanille carrying our fallen comrades away from the fight. Lightning is still holding her on to Barthandelus' back, slashing anything she can reach, along with Odin who just landed beside her. Meanwhile, Barthandelus is going into a desperate frenzy of trying to throw the two attackers off his back. He practically jumps, shakes his body, slams his fists, anything to try throwing Lightning and Odin off and stops them from slashing his body.

_Lightning is here, Lightning is okay! _Those words keep echoing in my head while I run carrying Hope, refusing to go away. I am so relieved! After seeing Lightning falling into the water, I've thought I've lost her. Yet here she is, with Odin! She must have summoned him down there… And he's saved her from the heavy current, healed her wounds and now here he is, aiding Light to kill Barthandelus.

My hopes begin to rise again.

As soon as we've placed the others safely a few distance away, Vanille and I quickly take all the remaining Potions, which are not many, and give them to Fang. Our magic has been so depleted that we couldn't heal her completely, but now we are sure she'd be able to move again. Fang quickly down them, and despite her body is still shaking and I'm sure her ribs are still cracked, at least her eyes have shone brighter.

"Agh!"

That cry of pain snaps our attention back to Barthandelus.

All the relief I've felt immediately disappears as I realize the dangerous situation. Odin has disappeared, rose petals scattering through the air, staining Barthandelus' back red. But they are not the only ones staining his back red.

Glancing at Lightning, we can no longer recognize her right arm. That arm has completely turned into a bloody mass; and even as we watch, the skin on her left arm is disappearing as she slashes Barthandelus. Lightning's blood is flowing down, staining Fafnir's hilt and blade, and even drips onto Barthandelus' back. He is really going mad now, his fists slamming the ground over and over again, creating Quakes in his effort to throw Lightning away. But still, Lightning holds on to his back! And she keeps slashing Barthandelus stubbornly, ignoring the shade of crimson spreading further and further on her arms. Lightning is gritting her teeth, her face covered with cold sweat as she struggles to withstand the pain and brings herself to slash Barthandelus more. Or in her perspective, slashing herself as well.

"Fang! We've got to stop her! That sword is skinning her alive!" Vanille whimpers, horrified as she watches Lightning's flesh being exposed with each attack she delivers. Fang is gritting her teeth as well at the sight, but she is hesitating since this may be the only chance for Light to actually kill Barthandelus… She's already so close to cutting his head off, if only his skin isn't so thick he would've lost his head a long time ago.

Then Lightning stabs Barthandelus' neck with Fafnir, causing the sword to be embedded there. Yet her hands are trembling so greatly in the pain and she can't drive the sword further into his neck. But it is just so close…

Shouting in defiance, Lightning shuts off all her thoughts and ignores her pain. Without giving any chance for herself to back off, she quickly kicks her left leg high up before letting it fall forcefully like an axe onto Fafnir's hilt, driving it deep into Barthandelus' neck.

Then pain explodes through her leg and Lightning's pained shout joins Barthandelus'.

"That's it! She is not hurting herself further!" Fang shouts as she lurches forward towards Lightning, Vanille and I following further behind her.

_Lightning…! _I call out to her in my mind, feeling my legs trembling as I see Lightning's leg turning crimson as well. It's made her lost her balance, and she is tumbling off Barthandelus' back, landing roughly on the ground. My heart hurts as I hear her crying out in pain again when the ground makes contact with her open flesh.

Yet before we even manage to reach Lightning, Barthandelus suddenly does something else. I only manage to steal a quick glance at Lightning, seeing her blue eyes looking back into mine. Little did I know that it would be the last time I see her in a while.

* * *

><p>Barthandelus has miscalculated everything. He has hoped Farron would succumb first to Fafnir's power if he prolongs the fight and defends himself long enough, but he's miscalculated her friends' strength. They have inflicted quite some damage on him, and now there is no way he can hope Farron would die first before he himself gets slashed into shreds. She has inflicted heavy damage on him, especially on his neck… it's true that she has fallen, but her remaining friends would kill him for sure if he doesn't use his last resort now.<p>

_Grrh… I hadn't wanted to use this… This method has too many uncertainties, _Barthandelus thinks grudgingly. _But I have no choice. _

Without further ado, Barthandelus releases his strongest magic, tearing a massive portal in the air.

* * *

><p>I don't know what's happened. Barthandelus suddenly releases something. After that, it felt like we are sucked into a portal and our surroundings become dark, the ground shaking. Then the next thing we know is that we no longer stand in Oerba's dilapidated bridge. All of us have been transported through a portal to an unfamiliar area, somewhere in Archylte Steppe!<p>

_What did he do that for?_

The answer comes when I look back at Barthandelus. Behind him, tens of other portals are already torn open on the air. I recognize the scenery of Eden through them, but then that scenery is blocked by troops of PSICOM soldiers flooding through it towards us.

_He's taking us here where his reinforcements wait, _I think dreadfully.

Barthandelus then smirks grimly, his hand reaching to his back, removing Fafnir easily off his neck. He slams the sword immediately to the ground, his hand being burned by Fafnir as they make contact.

Barthandelus grins at the troops surrounding him, heavily armed. Some of them look terrified upon seeing him, but he knows he doesn't have to worry. He has told them during the briefing that he would be fighting a bunch of Pulse l'Cie planning to destroy Cocoon, and he'd be using a robot for it, just like how Yaag Rosch fought using his Proudclad machine. And those soldiers believed him. They'd never guess that the l'Cie are actually the ones trying to save their sinful world, and their Primarch is actually the one trying to destroy them all. Little did they know that the 'robot' is actually their Primarch's real form as a fal'Cie. And little did they know that they are just being used like puppets.

And now the soldiers are ready to act on command. Barthandelus curses. His initial orders to the troops' Commander was to arrest the l'Cie. He has never thought that they are actually posing more threat than he'd predicted, and that he'd rather they all be killed right now instead. But before he could pass on this new order to the Commander, the man has bellowed:

"Arrest them all!"

And so the soldiers shoot forward towards the l'Cie, without Barthandelus having the chance to change the order to 'eliminate them all'.

Cursing yet again, Barthandelus can't do anything else now. Besides, he is also at his limits… Curse all those l'Cie!

As the Commander dashes forward to join the mission, Barthandelus collapses to the ground, trying to regain his strength. _Well, _he thought, _I can always kill them all right after they've been arrested._

* * *

><p>I can't believe this. One moment we were alone, but now we are surrounded by PSICOM soldiers armed to the teeth! I quickly draw Morning Glory out, shooting a Firaga directly at the closest soldiers. One thing I'm sure of: they are not here to aid us. They are here to hurt us.<p>

However, the soldiers are simply too many. Soon I realize that they are not ordered to kill, they are just ordered to arrest. I don't know what kind of luck has finally hit us, but it is true. Perhaps the Commander is giving a wrong order? But why wouldn't Barthandelus correct it?

The answer soon comes when I glance at Barthandelus. He has fallen, seemingly trying to regain his strength after Lightning's last assault. But this doesn't improve our situation. The soldiers are still aplenty, and they are attacking everyone! Vanille is fighting desperately beside me, and I'm sure Fang and Lightning are being attacked too despite I cannot see them due to the soldiers blocking my sight.

My heart lurches as I see some soldiers dragging the unconscious Snow, Sazh and Hope towards the portal. No way! Are they going to… take us to Cocoon?

But then all my thoughts are drowned. I've gotten distracted… One of the soldiers has approached me and stabbed my arm with his knife. It must have been drugged; I immediately feel sleepy. Darkness envelops my vision. The last thing I saw is Fang, beating down the soldiers trying to arrest her with her lance.

* * *

><p>Lightning roars angrily. The soldiers are attacking her and her friends! <em>Most of them are already down and these 'soldiers' are still attacking them? s<em>he thinks angrily as she slashes at the nearest soldiers using Fafnir. Despite her arms still sting so badly, but at least slashing these soldiers doesn't cause Fafnir to devour her flesh.

A little further, Lightning can see Fang fighting too, ferociously slashing the soldiers who dare to approach her.

But things aren't so good for the rest. Lightning's heart lurches as she sees Hope, Sazh and Snow being taken away into the portal.

"No!" Lightning shouts angrily as she struggles to make her way towards her friends.

_You're not taking them anywhere! _

But alas, the soldiers have gathered together, blocking her path. And before Lightning can do anything else, she can only watch in despair as Hope, Sazh and Snow disappear into the portals.

"Damn you!"

Forgetting all the pain in her anger, Lightning fights even harder. She strikes at the soldiers, trying to make her way towards Serah. She is lucky Barthandelus has fallen, albeit not dead; but there are still the soldiers she needs to worry about. If she doesn't hurry, they will…!

Then Serah falls too. A soldier has hit her, and she falls to the ground silently.

"Get away from her!" Lightning shouts, releasing Wrath of Heavens which clears most of the soldiers blocking her way. However, more of them are replacing the fallen soldiers, and Lightning's arms are hurting so badly after that Wrath of Heavens that she can't release it again.

Before Lightning can do anything else, the soldiers have carried Serah away into the portal.

"NOOOO!" Lightning roars, gripping Fafnir's hilt so tightly in her anger that her hand begins to bleed even worse. _No… not Serah…_

But there is no rest for the weary. More havoc rises. The Commander has joined the fray, and he immediately takes down the closest l'Cie standing to him: Vanille.

Lightning immediately dashes forward in fury, slashing her way through the soldiers. Fang is doing the same thing, but with worse luck.

Nightmare replays. More soldiers blocking her way… Lightning tries her best to clear her way through them, she has to save Vanille, she won't let them bring her away too… Yet her damaged body is beginning to take its toll on her.

Then the Commander looks back at her as he makes his way towards his portal. And despite she hasn't seen him for a while, Lightning can never mistake that ruthless face: Yaag Rosch.

Then he too, disappears into the portal with Vanille, right when Lightning cleans the last soldiers blocking her way.

"DAMMIT!" Lightning shouts in anger to herself, falling to her knees, burying her head in her hands.

_Not even… one of them I could save…_

Fang, anyway, is still standing. Like Lightning, she has just managed to dispatch the last soldiers blocking her way, getting strength in her urgency to save Vanille despite her body is still injured. Yet she is too late as well.

And now, no more soldiers left. They have either left into portals or succumb to Lightning and Fang's attacks.

"Damn!" Fang curses. She runs towards Lightning, trying her best to ignore the pain throbbing in her cracked ribs. _They've left from different portals… there's no way Lightning and I can save everyone…! _Fang thinks in despair.

But even before the two remaining warriors can decide on what to do, the next problem has risen. Lightning and Fang stare in disbelief as Barthandelus stirs, his strength seems somewhat replenished, despite now he is still struggling to stand up.

_There's no way he'd let us chase after our friends, _Lightning thinks in defeat. Her body is shaking uncontrollably now, her breathing ragged, her arms and leg begin to throb with a vengeance. While Barthandelus is looking almost as injured as her, there's no way she can chase and defeat Yaag Rosch at her current condition. Besides… what about Serah…?

_No. For now, Vanille's situation is more dangerous than Serah's, _Lightning thinks.

With that, Lightning makes her decision. It is the hardest she's ever made, but she knows it is the only thing she can do to increase her chance to make things right in the future.

"Fang!" Lightning stands up, calling out to her battle partner who is still having her gaze alternating between Barthandelus and the portal through which Yaag Rosch has left.

"Go after Rosch. I'll keep Barthandelus busy."

Fang's head immediately turns towards Lightning, her mouth agape in surprise.

"But…"

"No buts! Rosch is the Commander; he can do whatever he wants to Vanille! He might decide to kill her anytime! You've got to chase him now Fang, and get Vanille back!"

"No way, Light! What about you? You think you can defeatBarthandelus at your current condition?"

"All I know is that I wouldn't stand a chance against Rosch. But Barthandelus is already injured, so I'm sure I can take him on, Fang! Besides, we can't let him get away again after all this!"

Fang really doesn't want to leave Lightning to fight Barthandelus alone. Hell, that fal'Cie is dangerous! Besides, if Lightning fights him while she chases after Rosch, then who would save the others?

"But Light, what about the others? What about Serah? You want to save her too, right?" Fang bellows.

Lightning's face twists as heart throbs upon hearing her sister's name. True, she wants to dash into the portal and save her sister so badly, but that's simply not one of the options. There can only be one person doing the saving, because the other one will have to distract Barthandelus. That means there will also be only one person being saved today. And that's gotta be Vanille.

"Fang."

Fang frowns, looking sternly into her battle partner's eyes.

"There can only be one person saved today. It has to be Vanille, since Rosch can kill her anytime, unlike the foot soldiers that would follow their previous order to keep the rest of our friends prisoners. If you defeat Rosch, and I defeat Barthandelus, no one would be able to order those soldiers to kill our friends. We'll be able to save them later then. That's why, for now you have to save Vanille and defeat Rosch first!" Lightning shouts the last few words, her blue eyes flaring at Fang. "Sometimes you have to choose, right? We can't save everyone now. If there is someone you are dying to save, it's Vanille, I'm sure of it! You care the most about her. You don't want to lose her. That'll give you strength, so use that power of yours to save her!"

Fang bites her lower lip, unable to decide. _She's right… there's no other choice… and I am indeed dying to save Vanille, selfish as it may sound… _

Reluctantly, Fang begins to see the truth of Lightning's words, and also how difficult it is for her to take that decision. She knows how much Lightning loves Serah and how she must be dying to chase after her sister's captors right now too. Yet she is still able to see through the enemies' mindset and, putting her own emotions and needs aside, come up with the best strategy for the time being. Sure, Fang doesn't like the prospect of having to leave the rest of their friends, but Lightning is right: there is no other choice but to save the rest of their friends later on, especially since now they are both already battered.

And so Fang agrees.

"Very well, Light. I really don't like this, but… We'll save the others too as soon as possible, right?"

Lightning nods. "Just keep yourself alive and save Vanille, Fang. Be careful, Rosch is strong."

Fang smirks sadly. "You too. Especially… don't push yourself too hard, okay? That sword is hurting you as much as it is hurting him," she gestures at Barthandelus, who is still struggling to regain his ground. Fang hesitates for a while, but after remembering how much Lightning has sacrificed so she can have a chance to save Vanille, she decides to just say it.

"…I don't want to lose you too, Light."

Lightning's eyebrow rises when she hears those words, especially when she remembers the comment Fang had given her after she said exactly those same words last night. However, soon she gives Fang a faint smile. "Don't worry. Just do your job, okay?"

Fang is still worried for Lightning, especially after seeing how much damage Fafnir has caused her. Fang looks at Lightning's body, gazing at the exposed flesh of her arms and leg. They must have hurt like hell, even to simply hold the sword! Other than that, Barthandelus really is strong… Will Lightning really be able to defeat him alone?

Fang shakes her head, trying to banish those thought away. No point worrying now. There is no other choice; she just has to trust Lightning. Besides, Lightning looks confident enough… Turning her body around to look at her battle partner, Fang threatens. "I'll be back as soon as possible with Vanille. Don't you dare dying before that, Light!"

Lightning scoffs. "Just be careful when you go back here. This portal looks unstable, you may get transported to a faraway area of Pulse instead when you come back."

Now it's Fang's turn to scoff. "Now, don't you worry. I'll come and find you, no matter where you are."

With that, Fang steps backwards into the portal. The last thing Lightning sees of her battle partner is her confident smirk as the eerie green glow of the portal swallows her body.

"Heh. Cocky, as always," Lightning smirks too. "Shouldn't I be the one to come and find you if you get transported to some secluded area?"

But in fact, Lightning subconsciously feels better upon seeing Fang's last confident smirk. That's Fang, alright. She can make any grim situation look manageable and calm tense nerves with that lazy, genuinely confident smirk of hers.

Lightning sighs. Unlike Fang, her previous confidence was actually only feigned in order to convince Fang to leave. In fact, Lightning is unsure that she'd make it out alive from this fight with Barthandelus. But of course, no turning back now. One thing Lightning is sure of: even if she should die, even if she wouldn't be able to join Fang saving the others then, but she mustn't let Barthandelus get through her and hurt Fang. That's the least she can do right now to fix her mistakes of letting her friends get caught in the first place.

_Besides, Fang would surely still be able to save the others even if I die,_ Lightning thinks._ As long as Barthandelus dies along with me. _

Smiling sadly, Lightning looks back into the portal where Fang has disappeared into.

"Glad to have met such a trustworthy battle partner like you, Oerba Yun Fang," Lightning mutters. "Been an honor to fight alongside you."

And with that, Lightning turns towards Barthandelus, who has stood back up and is looking at her hatefully.

"You shall die painfully after spoiling all my plans like that," Barthandelus growls, his eyes glaring in fury.

Lightning shrugs, lifting Fafnir up. "Then I'll take you to hell with me," she simply says before charging at Barthandelus.


	27. Chapter 27

_Damn… sword…_

Lightning is panting heavily, her body trembling with exhaustion. She has been fighting Barthandelus for a while since Fang left, and she's found out to her dismay that Barthandelus is stronger than she'd predicted considering his injuries. It's true that he has been injured greatly from the previous battle against Lightning and her friends, but he is still doing pretty well. Unlike Lightning, who is almost unable to move because of the excruciating pain coursing through her arms and leg. Now the entire skin on her left and right arms have disappeared completely, forcing Lightning to endure a continuous wave of pain since she has no choice but to keep gripping tight onto Fafnir with her bloodied hands. Besides, any minute impact is enough to send torturing pain up her limbs. Things that have never affected Lightning before are now making her trembling in pain. Things like the wind hitting her body every time she dodges, or the impact force created when her attacks connect are enough to hurt her arms and leg further, now that the flesh is exposed.

But still, Lightning can't stop now. She has to defeat Barthandelus! If she fails, Barthandelus will chase after Fang and kills her and the others.

_No way am I letting that happen!_

With that thought, Lightning attacks Barthandelus yet again, trying to ignore the knowledge that her pain is just going to increase with each attack she delivers onto the fal'Cie.

_If I have to die in order to kill you, so be it._

Barthandelus roars angrily, slamming his fist onto the ground in an attempt to crush Lightning. But Lightning is still faster; she somersaults right over Barthandelus hand, lands on his shoulder and runs straight towards his face.

"How dare you!" Barthandelus growls, shaking his shoulder to throw Lightning off. Instead of falling, Lightning simply jumps down, at the same time slashing Barthandelus' head with Fafnir.

Barthandelus roars in pain, his left eye damaged from the attack.

"Damn… you!" Barthandelus clutches his eye with his hand, but it's no use. His left eye has been sliced, he can no longer see with it. Before he can recover from the pain, he already feels another searing pain cutting through his face, this time from the right side.

Barthandelus knows what Lightning is up to. She is aiming to destroy both of his eyes! Fortunately for Barthandelus, this realization hits him as early as Fafnir cuts through his right cheek, heading dangerously upwards towards his eye.

Howling, Barthandelus acts quickly by moving backwards. He can still feel the burning pain of the cut on his cheek, but at least his right eye is undamaged. He roars again, half in anger and half in pain.

No one has ever been able to hurt him this badly before. No one. But now? Barthandelus' body is practically trembling from the pain. He has so many lacerations on his body, mostly on his hands and face. There are even some cuts and a throbbing stab wound on his neck, result of that cursed Farron's attack with her Eidolon earlier. Not to mention the loss of his left eye. All in all, his condition is definitely not good. The pain is torturing, but he knows he just has to hold it all in and keeps attacking, even if that would only bring more pain. That's what a fight to the death like this is all about, after all.

Come to think of it, that Farron woman isn't in a better condition either. It can even be said that she's in worse shape than him. Fafnir has indeed consumed much of her flesh and she seems to be extremely exhausted, both from loss of blood and stamina. The fight has indeed been a long one.

If only he isn't in too much pain, Barthandelus would've enjoyed seeing his hated enemy's face twist in agony like that. He would've enjoyed hearing her suppressed cries of pain every time she attacks. If only that wouldn't mean he is being hurt as well.

Seriously, why wouldn't she give up? That way, she can stop her suffering… she wouldn't have to endure more of her flesh being consumed by Fafnir.

Gritting his teeth grudgingly, Barthandelus swipes his hand at Lightning, hoping to tear her into shreds with his claws.

* * *

><p>Lightning sees the attack coming, but she is in too much pain to dodge. Her previous attacks to Barthandelus eyes have cost her the skin on her both legs, and the pain is preventing her from moving.<p>

_Damn, _Lightning thinks as she brings Fafnir in front of her to block, along with casting a Protect spell. Even her magic is depleting fast…

But then the memory of her defense being broken and herself getting slammed into the bridge by Barthandelus in the earlier fight comes back to Lightning. If it happens again, there'll be no Odin to save her anymore, and she'd surely die.

_I'm not dying before I take you to hell!_

Grunting, Lightning forces her leg to obey her and throws herself sideways. She manages to dodge the attack, but her newly injured leg refuses to obey her anymore. Lightning tumbles to the ground, shouting in pain as her exposed flesh grits against it.

_I will just prolong the pain if I try to defend too much, _Lightning thinks. _Besides, I already know from the beginning there's only a very small chance for me to survive this fight. Might as well attack._

Lightning smirks. _Serah would scold me if she knows what I'm doing, s_he thinks in a bitter amusement. _Sorry, li'l sis._

With that, Lightning jumps forward and resumes her attacks more ferociously than ever, ignoring all the pain surging through her, both from her old wounds and the new ones inflicted as she attacks.

* * *

><p>"Gaaah!" Barthandelus shouts in pain as Lightning suddenly bolts towards him, releasing her Army of One attack. Barthandelus can't believe this. That technique involves so many slashes, wouldn't it hurt her badly as well?<p>

But that doesn't seem to be the case. Farron has seemed to stop caring about her life. She is attacking so ferociously, giving Barthandelus no chance to retaliate nor dodge. Her attacks hit him so hard; her speed, coupled with the loss of his left eye, making him unable to dodge the attacks. He can only howl in pain as his body is getting torn.

Barthandelus becomes desperate and terrified when the attack doesn't stop at all. He slams his fists madly, uncaring whether it hits Farron or not. One thing he knows: he has to do something! He can't just do nothing as that cursed woman slashes him to shreds! What's happening? Shouldn't Fafnir be hurting her as well?

Looking down, Barthandelus' eye widens in terror. What he sees makes him feel fear in the kind that he has never felt before.

Lightning Farron is attacking him mercilessly, slicing with Fafnir without remorse. She looks like a demon; her eyes glaring like blue flames, her body covered in crimson blood that spreads more and more with each slash she delivers. But still she doesn't stop; she keeps attacking, drawing Barthandelus' and her own death nearer and nearer. As he stares at her in horror, he sees her eyes begin to lose their glow. She is dying. But still, she chooses to use the last remaining ounce of her energy to attack instead of trying to save herself.

For Barthandelus, Lightning Farron has turned into a goddess of death.

"Nooooooo!" Barthandelus howls as he feels Fafnir finally manages to stab right into his head, at the center of his forehead.

* * *

><p>Everything hurts. Everything.<p>

There is not an inch of her body that doesn't hurt.

It feels like she is being burned alive.

Every movement she makes, every slash she inflicts, only makes her body hurt more. And now she cannot even see anymore. Her vision has become so blurry.

But still, Lightning refuses to stop. She can feel nothing else besides the burning pain, but she keeps her body going by thinking of only one thing: attack. No longer has she thought anything about 'defend' or 'survive'. Lightning has given up her will to live in change for strength. She ignores her body's protests, she ignores the pain washing through her, she merely focuses on inflicting more and more slashes onto Barthandelus. Even when she feels her body begin to stop obeying her command, she still refuses to stop attacking.

Lightning has made her decision. No matter how many times Fafnir hurts her, if that means she's hurting Barthandelus too then she'll continue. It's her sole purpose now: to destroy until she herself is destroyed. She'll use every last muscle, every last ounce of energy left in her to attack rather than to survive.

But then, an excruciating pain hits her stomach. In her flurry of attack, Lightning has unconsciously uses her entire body to stab Fafnir deeper into Barthandelus' flesh as she feels it being embedded into the fal'Cie's forehead; she does it by stabbing the sword forward using not only her arms, but also her midriff. And now she knows for sure that her midriff is losing its skin as well.

The pain is greater than the ones in her limbs, causing Lightning to shout in pain. She knows she is close to killing Barthandelus, just one more downward slash and she would cut his head into half. But…

_I can't do this, _Lightning thinks in pain, shutting her eyes. _Why do I keep fighting anyway? If I stop now, I can at least die without having to suffer even more pain… _

_I fight for those I care about._

Lightning's eyes snap open as she remembers her reason to fight. That's right. She has decided long ago that she would fight for the people she cares about, no matter what the consequences are. Even if that means hurting herself.

And even though she is in so much pain, Lightning manages to smirk; blood flowing out through her lips. _If I stop now, _she thinks amidst the pain, _I'd die without being able to protect anyone. Not a very useful way to die, that is._

With that, Lightning lets out a roar, before slashing Fafnir forcefully downwards.

Agony immediately surges through her body, drowning all of Lightning's thoughts away. Roaring in pain, Lightning uses the last remaining ounce of her energy to keep slashing Fafnir downwards.

Lightning's last thoughts are of her friends, of the fondest memories she's had with them.

Memories of playing with Serah… of training with Vanille… of chasing after Hope… and of fighting alongside Fang, feeling no worries nor fear in her presence at the battlefield.

* * *

><p><em>I'm going to die, <em>Barthandelus thinks in terror as he feels Fafnir cutting deeper through his head.

_Lightning Farron is a demon. She is willing to kill herself just to kill me. She is totally uncaring of her own safety if that means she can save her friends. I will never be able to survive someone who has thrown even her own life away in order to kill me like that._

Barthandelus can only howl in pain as Fafnir cuts slowly through his head, his death getting nearer and nearer with every inch it digs into his flesh.

_Am I finally going to meet the Makers now?_ Barthandelus thinks, closing his eye.

Then suddenly, just when Fafnir is only an inch away from cutting his life source, it stops. Barthandelus opens his eye in surprise.

Lightning Farron's hand has fallen from Fafnir's hilt, her body collapses to the ground as her wounds finally get the better of her. Fafnir has defeated her first before Barthandelus.

* * *

><p>Barthandelus can only stare in shock at the body of the woman who has almost killed him. His head is throbbing excruciatingly from the gash, but it won't kill him.<p>

Barthandelus just can't believe this. He's survived.

He's alive!

Barthandelus immediately roars with laughter, opening his hands towards the darkening sky.

"Hahahahaha! Look at you, miserable child! Now I shall kill every last one of your friends, then destroy Cocoon and summon the Makers back!"

Barthandelus laughs madly, ignoring the droplets of rain that is beginning to fall.

"Ugh!"

But then, Barthandelus suddenly feels his whole body hurting so much. Indeed, he's still alive now, but he'd surely die if he doesn't do something quickly. His head throbs again, Fafnir that is still stuck in his flesh keeps hurting him.

Barthandelus roars.

"Graaah!" with much effort, he removes Fafnir from his head, feeling its flames burning him.

"Guuhh…" Barthandelus grits his teeth in fury. He can no longer go to kill the l'Cie anymore; that last attack has sapped his energy greatly. Hell, he can't even slam his fist anymore to crush Farron! Barthandelus growls.

No, on second thought, he's not going to waste his last ounce of energy trying to kill someone who is already very close to death. He'd just leave her here to die. No way would she survive with that kind of wounds. Besides, if he leaves her, she'd die more slowly and painfully. It'll be suitable punishment for all the pain she's inflicted on him.

About her friends, he'll settle them later. Now Barthandelus just wants to return to Cocoon and wait until his body regenerates back to full health. It will be quite a long time until he regains his strength, but it is to be expected since he has been injured so badly by Fafnir to the point of almost dying.

With a last roar of anger, Barthandelus tears open another portal in front of him and leaves.

_Curse you, Lightning Farron. I wish you die in agony!_

* * *

><p><em>So this is how it ends.<em>

That thought drifts through Lightning's mind, amidst all the pain.

_Why hasn't death come, anyway? My body hurts… why hasn't it stopped?_

Lightning tries opening her eyes, but all she could see is the ground beneath her face.

_It's cold._

Rain has fallen, washing Lightning's blood that has dripped on the ground away.

_I'm dying._

Lightning's wounds throb, torturing her even further.

_Have I… fulfilled my reason to fight…?_

_Fighting for those I care about. Surely I've protected at least someone?_

_What about… other promises…? Is there any I haven't fulfilled?_

Right then, Serah's voice echoes in her mind.

_Survive, so we can survive too, sis._

Upon that, Lightning's eyes snap open.

_Right… I promised her I would try my best to stay alive so I can keep looking after them._

A small smirk appears in Lightning's face.

_Heh. You are asking too much… How do you expect me to keep clinging to life when it is this painful?_

But still, Lightning always keeps her promises. She hasn't promised to succeed, but she'd promised to at least try to stay alive.

_Heh. How troublesome… but if it's what they want, then I'll try fighting to stay alive. I'll keep fighting for those I care about._

With that, Lightning struggles to turn her body around so she can breathe easier.

However, before she manages to do that, Lightning has lost her consciousness.

The rain keeps pouring.

* * *

><p>Fang skids to a halt from running across Edenhall, stopping abruptly and looks up at the orange sky of Eden's sunset, frowning.<p>

"Light...?" Fang whispers. She isn't sure how, but she knows something must have happened to Lightning. There is this nagging unpleasant feeling creeping into her, and Fang curses as she turns around, squinting to look at the portal in the distance through where she's arrived. She can't see it clearly, it's too far away now; but at least she can still see a glimpse of Gran Pulse's dark sky. Is it raining there?

Fang hesitates, unable to decide on what to do next. _Should I go back…?_

But then a movement in the distance draws her attention back to the front. There!

There he is, Yaag Rosch. Fang has been searching for him, and now she finally finds him! He is walking casually further down the Edenhall, a Midlight Reaper walking beside him. Even without being able to see clearly, Fang knows that the machine is the one carrying Vanille.

But…

Fang glances back at the portal to Gran Pulse. _Light…_

Fang curses again, shaking her head. She doesn't know what to do… Should she check on Lightning, or should she save Vanille first?

But then again, she is not even sure if Lightning really is needing her help. Fang trusts Lightning. Light had sounded so confident when she told her to chase after Rosch, so shouldn't she be okay? Well, maybe her bad feeling just now has something to do with Lightning experiencing some difficulty in fighting Barthandelus, but that doesn't mean she has to jump in to her rescue immediately. Lightning wouldn't need that. Besides, Light'll only get furious if she knows Fang doesn't trust her strength and comes helping her, before saving Vanille as the plan goes.

Fang sighs. She is still worried about Lightning, but she knows Light would want her to finish her job first.

_I'd just finish this quickly and go to Light as soon as possible, _Fang thinks as she dashes after Rosch and his pet robot.

* * *

><p>"Oi, Lilac Boy!" Fang shouts as she jumps off a platform and lands right behind Rosch. The man simply stops and looks back at Fang coldly, totally ignoring her insult.<p>

"Where do you think you are goin'?" Fang smirks, grabbing her lance from her back and points it at Rosch's head.

"You are one of those l'Cie we are ordered to arrest," Rosch states, not twitching even a single muscle under Fang's murderous glare.

"Ding ding ding ding, bingo! What a great honor to have you remembering my face, fal'Cie's puppet!" says Fang mockingly. "I'm kinda in a hurry, though. So you can just release my friend over there and I'll spare your life," Fang says, gesturing at the Midlight Reaper. Undoubtedly, Vanille is inside that robot. She can already hear her whimpers from here.

Yaag Rosch doesn't make any move. He simply holds his gaze at Fang.

"No can do, l'Cie. If you want her back, you'd have to get through me."

Fang lets out an exasperated sigh. "Expected, from someone with such a blind obedience to fal'Cie. Unfortunately for you, I'm in a bad mood, so I won't hold back!"

With that, Fang jumps forward and releases her Highwind immediately onto Rosch, ignoring the pain beginning to wash through her from her cracked ribs.

* * *

><p><em>Damn, he's strong! <em>Fang thinks in dismay as she struggles to block Rosch's sword. He is just using a simple rapier, but he is fast. Fang can barely block his attacks, a feat made more difficult by her cracked ribs.

"I see you are injured," suddenly Rosch says, his eyes gazing at Fang's bruised midriff. "As your enemy, I can always take advantage of such weaknesses. Shouldn't you just give up?"

"Nunna yer business!" Fang snaps, splitting her lance into three and assaults Rosch. Yet he manages to block all of them easily, his quick feet enabling him to sidestep away when blocking fails.

"Graaah!" Fang roars in frustration as she continues stabbing her lance at Rosch.

"Fierce," Rosch comments as he dodges Fang's ferocious attacks. "What are you hurrying for? You won't defeat me that way, l'Cie."

"Shut up!" Fang jumps backwards, creating a distance between her and Rosch before releasing Ruinga at him. She feels a pang of satisfaction when his eyes widen, before he tries to jump away. But Ruinga has such a wide range, its explosion manages to slam Rosch onto the side wall of Edenhall.

"Wanna rethink those words?" Fang hisses as she watches Rosch climbs back up to his feet amidst the rubbles, blood flowing from a gash on his head. Without giving him any more time to recover Fang dashes forward to attack him. She is in a hurry, after all.

Fang has almost jabbed Rosch when she suddenly see the twinkle in his eyes and his left hand reaching into his uniform's pocket. Sensing danger, Fang quickly jumps sideways. Wise move, since Rosch has just pulled out a gun from within his uniform and shoots at the spot where Fang has been standing a split second earlier.

Cursing, Fang skids to a halt and charges again at Rosch. However, this time he's completely ready for the attack. He aims carefully at Fang and Fang has to jump sideways again to dodge the bullets, which split into three as they are shot.

But before Fang can move anywhere else, she feels a menacing presence behind her. Turning, her eyes widen as she sees Rosch has already gotten behind her, his nimble feet enabling him to sneak up on Fang when she was still busy dodging the bullets.

_Damn. _

Fang quickly tries to quickstep away, but it is too late. Rosch's sword stabs through her right shoulder, immediately causing her entire right arm to go numb. Grunting, Fang quickly holds her lance with her left hand to prevent it from falling before rolling away from Rosch, clutching her shoulder.

"Ugh!"

But before Fang can do anything else, Rosch has charged at her and kicks her hard, right on her injured ribs. Fang hears them breaking immediately, and suddenly she finds herself gasping for breath. One of her broken ribs must have pierced her lungs.

_Shoot…_

Fang crouches on the ground, clutching her ribs and struggling to breathe. She can't move anymore. Rosch has pointed his sword directly in front of her head, threatening to kill her anytime.

_I can't fail here… Vanille… Light..._ Fang thinks grudgingly, refusing to drop her lance.

This simple gesture of defiance is caught by Rosch. He tilts his head.

"Still not giving up yet?" he asks.

Fang looks up at him angrily, despite her face is turning pale in her effort to hold in the pain.

"I won't give up before I can save Vanille," Fang growls.

Rosch chuckles. "That l'Cie girl? Humph. Strange creatures, you l'Cie. You are out to destroy Cocoon and its entire people, yet you don't want to lose your own kind. Shall I call that loyalty? Or rather, _selfishness_?"

Fang growls, her heart boiling in rage.

_Chill, s_he rebukes herself. _Try to read the situation like Light!_ Taking in a ragged breath, Fang suddenly remembers that Rosch's initial order is to arrest the l'Cie. She smirks.

_So that's why he wants to provoke me. He just wants me to attack him so he'd have a reason to kill me instead of arresting me._

Trying her best to ignore Rosch, Fang keeps silent. Yet his provokes continue.

"Now that I've arrested you, l'Cie, you'd be happy to know that you'd soon reunite with your friends… at the prison," he adds, smirking.

"I just can't imagine how a prison full of l'Cie would be like. Maybe I should order the guards to wear oxygen masks so they won't have to breathe in the same air as all of you filthy, disgusting creatures..." Rosch mumbles, his expression turning into disgust. "Even your mere existence is a crime, l'Cie. The world will be a better place without any of you."

At this point, Fang's fists have been clenched so tightly her nails pierce her palm, drawing blood. _Calm down, _Fang thinks grudgingly. _Let him talk, wait for an opening…don't let him get what he wants…_

"Ah, come to think of it, there's one more l'Cie has yet to be caught, isn't there?" Rosch begins again. "That pink-haired ex-Guardian Corps soldier."

Fang's head jerks up at this, right to meet Rosch's eyes.

"Ah, I see you react upon the mention of her. Why? Is she your friend? You care about her?" Rosch asks mockingly. When he receives nothing from Fang but a murderous glare, he shrugs and continues.

"I personally think she is the worst among all of you l'Cie. She was a Guardian Corps soldier, trusted with the protection of Cocoon's people, right? Yet now here she is, a l'Cie out to destroy the very thing she is supposed to protect. What an honorless piece of trash."

A small growl escapes Fang's lips as she hears those words, her jade eyes flaring in fury. Even her body is now trembling in a rage almost uncontrolled. Rosch's smirk widens.

"If only she is not too selfish to think about the well-being of the people she used to protect, if only she realizes just how low she is, I believe she should've shot her own head the moment she becomes l'Cie."

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT LIGHTNING LIKE THAT!"

Fang finally snaps, unable to control her rage anymore upon hearing those last words from Rosch. Ignoring the pain in her ribs, she attacks Rosch with all her might.

Rosch was taken aback by Fang's sudden outburst, but soon he laughs, rising his sword to block Fang's attack. "Attacking from the front? My, you should've known better than…"

Rosch's words disappear abruptly and turn to a strangled gurgle when Fang's lance meets his sword and immediately breaks it, before continuing to stab him right on his chest. He looks into Fang's lance that pierces his chest in disbelief, before lifting his gaze up to the l'Cie's furious, merciless face. He had never guessed this l'Cie woman possesses such inhuman raw strength. She has broken through his defense with sheer power alone, without any use of technique. Where did she get such strength anyway? She is injured! She shouldn't be able to even move, how much more strike with such power!

_Was it from her anger?_

That is the last thought going through Yaag Rosch's mind before he succumbs into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Fang breathes heavily, clutching her broken ribs that are starting to throb with a vengeance. With a grunt, she draws out her lance and wipes off the blood staining it on Rosch's clothes.<p>

"Don't you ever dare," Fang says, still panting, "jeer at my friend like that."

Without a second glance, Fang turns towards the Midlight Reaper. Needless to say, in her fury the robot falls under two minutes.

"Vanille!" Fang shouts worriedly as she forces open the robot's body. "Are you okay?"

Immediately Vanille's head pops out. Her hands are tied tightly, so Fang cuts them with her lance wordlessly.

"Fang!" Vanille jumps out as soon as she is free, hugging Fang tightly with the enthusiasm of a lost puppy that has been found by its master. "Fang, I'm so glad you are okay! I was so scared! That purple-haired man kept talking about prison, and I… wait, you are hurt!"

Fang chooses to just smile and save her breath in front of Vanille's enthusiasm. She lets out a grunt when her best friend hugs her so tightly with her broken ribs, but she doesn't mind it at all. That's just how Vanille is, all right.

"Thanks for noticing," Fang answers sarcastically, making Vanille giggle.

"You're most welcome. Now let me heal you! Oof!"

With that, Vanille sends some powerful Curaga for Fang, who immediately feels her broken ribs snapping back into position and the pain disappears. Next Vanille heals the stab wound on her shoulder, and Fang grins in satisfaction. She hugs Vanille, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"I'm so relieved you are okay, 'Nille," Fang says. But her relief and happiness are short-lived. Soon she remembers about Lightning and the others, and she quickly dashes towards the portal with Vanille in tow.

"Wait, Fang! Where are we going? Where are the others?" Vanille asks in surprise.

"No time to stand still and explain!" Fang answers. "I'll explain as we run, so come on!"

* * *

><p>Fang knows Vanille almost cries, but she has no time to comfort her right now.<p>

"So the others are… caught…?" Vanille asks again, trying her best to contain her tears.

"Yeah."

"And Lightning is fighting Barthandelus _alone _with that crazy sword?" Vanille's voice rises, thick with worry.

Fang can't find the strength to answer her. Now she realizes just how naïve she's been.

_What the hell was I thinking? How could I just leave Light like that? _Fang almost growls in frustration. But it's not like she had much choice that time. And Lightning has been the one stubbornly forcing her to leave.

But still, Fang is extremely worried. Come to think of it, how could someone hurt that badly be so confident? _Lightning must have feigned it_, Fang thinks grimly.

_Making me worried like this… Light, I'm so gonna kill you!_

With that thought, Fang dashes faster, Vanille struggling to keep up behind her.

They have reached the portal now, but they can no longer see the scenery of Gran Pulse on the other side. It's all dark.

"Do you think it's safe?" Vanille asks hesitantly. "Wouldn't like it if we get teleported to somewhere else…"

Fang sighs. "We have no other choice, 'Nille. Light may be needing our help right now, and we can't risk wasting any more time. We've got to go in."

"Got it. Let's go."

And so Fang and Vanille jump into the portal.

* * *

><p>"Stupid portal!" Fang grunts angrily as she runs as fast as she can. That portal is indeed unstable like Lightning said; it sends her and Vanille to a completely different area. But luckily, judging from the landmarks, they are not so far away from that place where she left Lightning.<p>

However, Vanille is running too slow as compared to Fang. Fang can't wait for her anymore; Lightning might be needing her aid right now!

Hence Fang has run ahead of Vanille, with her agreement of course. Vanille would run as fast as she can to catch up with Fang later.

And so Fang runs full tilt alone, ignoring the rain that is still pouring down around her.

* * *

><p>There!<p>

Fang has finally arrived at the place where she left Lightning, panting after running so fast. Despite the portals have disappeared, but being a huntress, Fang still recognizes the landmarks. This is indeed the place.

However, Fang's heart immediately lurches as she sees neither Barthandelus nor Lightning.

_Can that fal'Cie possibly teleport somewhere else? Where could he go? More importantly, where is Light? _

Fang casts about, impatiently flicking her wet hair off her eyes. Night has fallen, and the pouring rain does nothing to help her vision. Everything is in shades of blue or black, including the grasses and trees. But despite the dim light, Fang is still sure that a fight has indeed happened here. The grasses are in a mess, the ground cracked.

_What happened? Did Lightning defeat Barthandelus? Where is she now? _Fang thinks in worry, frowning.

"Damn…"

Fang casts about one more time, and this time she manages to find an area where the damage to the environment is the worst.

There! Fang finally finds a dent on the ground that matches the shape of Barthandelus' fist. She can even find bits of that cursed fal'Cie's armor-like skin on the ground as she walks closer.

"Ouch!"

Suddenly Fang's feet kick against something hard. She almost tumbles, but regain her balance. "What the hell is…!"

Fang's words disappear immediately when she recognizes the object lying near her feet.

Fafnir.

_This can't be._

Fang's eyes slowly follow the direction opposite of Fafnir's hilt, and they soon widen in disbelief.

"Light…ning…?"

Lightning is there; lying face-down on the ground, in the rain, not moving at all.

"Lightning!" Fang shouts, dashing forwards and kneels down on the ground beside her fallen comrade. Carefully she turns Lightning's body around and lifts her torso into her arms. And Fang can't believe her eyes.

_Damn that sword…_

Lightning's body is covered in crimson. Her legs are so badly skinned, and even her stomach seems to have been damaged judging to the amount of blood soaking through her overcoat. Worse still, her entire arms have turned to a bloody mass; her exposed flesh looks like a deadly crimson taint that continues to her shoulders and has even crept up to the right side of her neck and face, albeit fortunately it has stopped before reaching her eyes.

Fang is almost unable recognize Lightning anymore. She looks more like a bloody statue, cold, unmoving.

Fang's vision becomes blurry. An excruciating pain stabs through her heart, driving her entire body to shake uncontrollably. Then Fang hears a long tortured howl tearing through the night's solitude, subconsciously realizing that it is actually her own voice.

* * *

><p>"No… this can't be… Light…" Fang's arms tighten around Lightning's body, shaking violently.<p>

"No… please, Light, wake up…"

No response.

"Ugh…" Fang clenches her teeth, unable to think anymore. Lightning… the only person in this world that Fang trusts with her life beside Vanille; the only person she considers her equal match; the only person that she knows will always aid her in anything, who shoulders the same burden and sadness as her… the person she's come to care about so much.

And now that person Fang's considered as her own family has been skinned alive by the sword they have naïvely asked her to wield.

"Why…?" Fang growls, her voice hoarse with sadness. "Why must this happen to her? She doesn't deserve this!" she howls angrily to the dark sky, to the rain still falling mercilessly.

"Lightning..."

* * *

><p>Fang has never given a damn about anyone from Cocoon before. She has thought all of them are mere cruel vipers that deserve to be destroyed. But that's before she met Lightning.<p>

After Fang gets to know Lightning, she begins to respect the people of Cocoon; just like how Lightning begins to respect Gran Pulse as well. And since then, Fang has come to grimly admit that she's indeed been so ignorant before. She has tried to destroy a people who are actually mere victims in the fal'Cie's malicious plot, all that time falsely believing that she is doing the right thing. Fang has expected Lightning not to want to have anything to do with her; she's been trying to destroy Lightning's home after all.

But that's not the case. Lightning has accepted her, considered her as a friend and even asked her to fight with them to the end. Lightning doesn't care about Fang's past mistakes. She even told Fang once that she herself has done so many mistakes in the past.

"_Even I had done horrible mistakes, Fang. That's why, I have no reason to hate you for things you did in the past. At least now you are not doing anything wrong. That's all that matters."_

Upon that kind of acceptance, Fang has begun to forgive herself and vows to atone to her mistakes. She vows to help Lightning and the others to defeat Barthandelus to set things right. And she is extremely grateful to Lightning for accepting her, for giving her that purpose.

And since then, Fang has considered Lightning as her own family. Fang enjoys talking with Light, she enjoys fighting alongside her, she enjoys having her as a friend. And she truly cares about her.

* * *

><p>Fang isn't one to cry. But now, as she sees the silent, broken body of the person she's cared about so much, she can feel tears begin to flow down her face. Fang grits her teeth in anger and denial, hugging Lightning's body closer, burying her face in Lightning's bloodied shoulder.<p>

"And you said you could take him on… Just what kind of nonsense was that?" Fang growls angrily, baring her clenched teeth in anger as she remembers Lightning's words to her before they split up. "And what kind of selfish idiot actually believed that?"

Fang suddenly feels so disgusted with herself. _What kind of friend am I?_

"Fa…ng…?"

Fang's head immediately jerks up at that voice, half-disbelieving her ears. She has never felt any more relieved to hear that voice than now. She looks down to Lightning's bloodied face, right to see her blue eyes opening slightly. But soon fear creeps back into Fang's heart as she sees those eyes have lost their usual glow. Lightning doesn't even seem to be able to recognize Fang anymore right now.

"Yes, Light, it's me, I'm really here…! So please, stay with me! Don't close your eyes!" Fang hurriedly answers.

_But I'm so… tired… _Lightning's eyes begin to flutter, almost closing.

"Lightning! Don't close your eyes; just look at me, dammit! Don't give up… now…"

"Fang…" Lightning tries to speak, her voice trembling as she clearly struggles to breathe.

"Stop talking, Light! Save your energy!" Fang says, despair creeping into her. _Please, Light, keep breathing!_

"Fang… is Vanille… safe?"

Fang's eyes widen in disbelief as she hears those words coming from Lightning.

"Yes, Light, Vanille's fine, she'll come soon! So hang on, okay? She'll heal you! Don't you dare dying on me now!" Fang answers immediately. Anything, anything to keep Lightning conscious…

Lightning's lips form a faint smile. "Glad… you two are okay…" she struggles to say. And with those words, Lightning closes her eyes.

Fang can only stare at Lightning in disbelief. _How can she still worry about others in her condition?_

Fang shakes her head. _At least Light is still alive. First I've got to get her away from this rain!_ Fang thinks before taking Lightning into her arms, standing up.

"I won't have you dying on me, Light," Fang whispers.

"Fang!"

Right then, Vanille's voice rings through the air. Fang turns her head in relief to see Vanille arriving, her eyes widening as she sees Lightning's bloodied form in Fang's arms.

"Vanille, we've got to hurry, Light's hurt! We must go back to the basecamp!" Fang commands.

Vanille nods, glancing at the only remaining portal in the area. It's the one Barthandelus used to teleport them here from Oerba, its enormous size causing it to close slower than the other portals. It can still be used. Finally, some bit of luck...

Vanille runs to follow Fang into the portal, only stopping to grab Fafnir. However, she only dares to hold the sword with the very tips of her finger. Vanille knows she can never feel completely calm around the sword anymore after this, not after she sees what that sword has done to Lightning. But for now, she just has to ignore that sword and focus on healing Lightning.

* * *

><p>Vanille heals Lightning immediately when they reach Oerba again. However, her wounds are closing very slowly and Vanille's magic drains out before she can heal everything. Hence, she resorts to wrapping Lightning's exposed flesh with bandages, shuddering as she looks at those red taints. Especially the ones on Lightning's face… but still, Vanille has done all she could. She's sure Lightning would survive, albeit she'd undoubtedly have to rest for a while.<p>

Sending Fang a tired glance, Vanille scurries away and curls up to sleep, her exhaustion getting unbearable. And despite Fang is exhausted too, but she still stays up until so late at night, ensuring Lightning is breathing evenly.

_Don't you dare dying after making me worried like that, Light._

* * *

><p><em>AN: Whoa, can't believe I actually finished writing this chapter in one day! But then again, I'll be leaving for a trip tomorrow. Directly after that, school will start again and I won't be able to update as fast OTL That's why, I decided to at least wrap the fight against Barthandelus up before leaving. Besides, I don't want to leave a cliffhanger for such a long time ^^"_

_And thanks so much for the reviews too, guys! xD they really helped as my fuel when I wrote this chapter :P_

_Alrighty, have a merry Christmas and happy New Year! See you all next year, my lords and ladies :D_

_And also, happy birthday to my best friend ClaireAlpha~ :D _


	28. Chapter 28

Vanille sighs as she removes the bandages on Lightning's damaged arms. The soldier is still unconscious, her breathing ragged, and her eyes are moving anxiously beneath her closed eyelids. It looks like she's having a bad dream… or just being in pain…

Vanille pulls the blanket she's taken from one of the buildings in Oerba and covers Lightning's shivering form with it. She has tried searching for more blankets, but this is the only one still in a usable state. Shaking her head in dismay, Vanille begins assessing Lightning's wounds. Her wounds are so numerous and deep, making Vanille unable to heal everything last night. Last night she had concentrated on the more serious wounds, like the ones on Lightning's midriff. Those wounds have either been closed halfway or completely covered again in Lightning's fair skin by now, but the rest… Vanille just had to resort to bandages.

Luckily, today Vanille's energy has returned after sleeping all night long and she is ready to cast more healing spells for Lightning. She is extremely relieved that the wounds on Lightning's midriff had not reach her old wound from Yojimbo, otherwise she would've surely died when it reopens. The thought makes Vanille shudder, but she continues her work still.

Suddenly, Vanille unwillingly giggled as she recalls the ruckus that happened earlier this morning. Somehow Fang has fallen asleep _right_ beside Lightning last night, thus resulting in her waking up nose-to-nose with Light this morning. Fang immediately went panic, of course, fearing whatever painful retribution she may get for invading Lightning's personal space that badly, despite unintentionally. She immediately jumped away, arms flailing, shouting her apologies. And although luckily the ruckus didn't manage to wake Lightning from her unconscious state, but it managed to wake Vanille up. Vanille can't help but giggle as she recalls Fang's panic reaction.

But then, Vanille's face turns grim again as she looks at the wounds on Lightning's face. The crimson taints from her shoulders have crept up the right side of her neck, before splitting into two; one is fortunately short and stops at Lightning's jaw, but the other one is much longer and jagged. It creeps straight across her right cheek and continues across the bridge of her nose, before finally stopping below her left eye.

_Oh, Light… what have you _done_ to yourself? _Vanille thinks sadly.

Upon seeing those crimson taints, Vanille resolves to use all her healing ability so as not to let Lightning's face be scarred. She knows Light wouldn't care about whether her face is scarred or not, she'd surely be more concerned about the others when she wakes up later, but still… it'd be a shame to let her beautiful face be scarred… _Wait, what am I thinking! _Vanille chastises herself, shaking her head vigorously.

Huffing, Vanille channels more energy into the Curaga spell forming in her hands. She is extremely worried about the others, but for now she knows she has to concentrate on healing Lightning first. There's nothing much they can do without Light anyway… Vanille just hopes she would wake up soon. Yet, at the same time she fears how the soldier would react once she wakes up. They all have gone through a hard battle, only to have Barthandelus fleeing at the last moment and their friends captured. Vanille is sure Lightning wouldn't react calmly to it.

* * *

><p><em>Look at you, miserable child.<em>

_You lost._

_I've captured your sister and friends._

_I'll make sure they suffer tremendously._

_And they suffer because you lost._

Lightning tosses around in her troubled sleep, unable to get rid of the haunting nightmares, of Barthandelus' voice that keeps echoing in her mind.

_You were too weak to defeat me._

_You lost._

_And now your friends shall pay the price of your weakness._

Lightning lets out a growl, her fists clenched so tight blood begins to seep out from the half-closed wounds.

_You've failed in protecting your sister._

_And now I shall make her suffer so badly she'd hope never to be born._

_She'd die slowly in agony._

"NO! Serah!" Lightning jolts up awake, her arm lashing out trying to grasp the image of Serah that has flashed out in her mind. As her fingers shut around nothing but air, the impact of her sudden movement hits her.

"Ugh!" Lightning falls back as her wounds throb simultaneously and she immediately feels like being burned alive. As she lies panting on her back, all memories of the fight flood into her mind, but the clearest one is of… Serah… and the others… being dragged into the portals, and out of her reach.

"Damn…" Lightning grits her teeth and struggles to sit up more carefully, trying not to strain her wounds again. Once she manages to sit up straight, Lightning looks around. She is sitting on a make-shift bed with an old blanket covering her, probably taken from one of the houses in Oerba. She knows this place must be Oerba, she recognizes this building—it's the one below the bridge, the one they've used as a basecamp before the whole fight. Thick bandages cover her wounds, stained red in some places where her wounds still bleed. Next to her bed are her belongings; gunblade, gloves, leg pouch, overcoat, everything; all washed clean from blood and dirt. These must have been Vanille's doing.

_Looks like Vanille is safe after all… _Lightning thinks, relief flowing into her. She has to thank Fang for that. Moreover, if she remembers correctly, Fang was the one finding her in that rain and bringing her here…

_Heh. So you really did come and find me after all…_

Before Lightning can think of anything else, the door of the building slams open and Fang strides in. She stops dead on her track as she sees Lightning awake, and Lightning is too startled as well upon the huntress' sudden entrance to say anything just yet.

"Light?" Fang asks, seemingly unable to believe her eyes.

"Fa—"

Lightning's words suddenly get cut off when Fang rushes in and immediately takes her into a tight embrace.

"Fang…?" Lightning asks hesitantly, her injured body unable to move within Fang's firm grip.

"…Making me worried like that… Don't you dare doing that to me again, you hear?" Fang's voice rumbles.

Lightning is really surprised by Fang's sudden embrace, but then she smiles faintly and returns the hug awkwardly.

"Sorry… and thank you, Fang."

Fang finally releases her death grip on Lightning, grinning her usual lazy smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, no big deal. Now rest!"

With that, Fang grabs Lightning's forehead and slams her back down onto her bed.

"Ouch! What the hell, Fang!" Lightning shouts angrily.

"Just trying to make ya rest," Fang replies with an indifferent shrug. "Wouldn't want all those skin to tear open again, yea? Vanille would have to bandage you even more then, and you already look pretty much like a mummy now," she gestures at Lightning's heavily bandaged form.

"So Vanille really is… safe?" Lightning asks, her eyes wary.

"Yep, Rosch is dead, Vanille is safe and sound, and now we only have to wait until you recover before we try to save…" Fang's words stop abruptly as she realizes what she was saying. However, it is too late; Lightning has caught what she needs to know.

"So the others really were captured, huh…" Lightning mutters, her gaze growing cold and distant. "…and here I was wishing for it to be just a nightmare."

Fang stares at her battle partner, frowning as she sees the emotionless walls going back up around Lightning's heart. She casts her gaze downwards as well, unable to say anything else. What should she say? 'It's okay'? Well, the situation is clearly _not _okay!

Luckily, Fang is saved from having to say anything by Vanille who walks in right at that moment with a pile of herbs in her hands. She lets out a small surprised cry as she sees Lightning awake, and the next thing Fang knows is that Vanille already kneels down beside Light, busy with her bandages. Mumbling something about preparing food, Fang heads out of the building as soon as Vanille regards her with a hurried nod, too occupied to say anything.

Outside, Fang sighs as she looks up at the blue-and-orange afternoon sky, with Cocoon perched high on it. Fang squints, but even her sharp eyes are unable to make out the shapes inside that cracked shell. And the others are somewhere within that distant bronze sphere… they feel so far away now.

Fang sighs again. She knew all along that Lightning would blame herself on the others' capture… typical. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Fang decides that she'll just have to make sure her foolhardy friend doesn't try anything stupid.

* * *

><p><em>I'm scared. <em>

_It's so dark… I can't see anything…_

_How did I end up here?_

_I try moving my arms and legs, but to my horror they are tied tightly behind me. I can't move my hands for even an inch. The darkness only makes it worse. I don't know where I am, I don't know what time it is, I don't know anything. Only one thing I'm sure of: I am alone. No one else is here. No one else is _around_ here. _

_That thought strikes fear into my heart even more. If there is no one else here to help… then how can I escape? _

_I try to tug on the ropes harder, but to no avail. They don't even budge. I can feel panic and fear spreading fast like poison in my heart, fuelled by the thought that I may be stuck here for Makers-know how long, alone in this foreign dark room. _

_Tears begin to well in my eyes. Throwing dignity aside, I begin to shout for help, wailing as loud as I can, ignoring the pain that begins to develop in my throat after some time shouting. Anyone, anything, please come and find me… I don't want to get stuck here forever…_

_I keep shouting for what feels like hours, but nothing happens. No one comes. Somehow I know that this place is secluded, that no one actually comes here. No one knows I'm trapped here. I might die here alone out of starvation…_

_Upon that thought, I begin shouting again, tears now running down my cheeks freely. However, soon my throat throbs painfully and I have to stop shouting, only sobbing. _

"_Please… someone, help…I want to go home…"_

_No one. Nothing except darkness. I'm sick of the dark… I want to see the sunlight; I would do anything to see it again! _

_After what seems to be few more hours of nothingness, I finally grow tired and begin to fall into a slumber. There's not much difference between opening and closing my eyes, though._

_Just when I am about to fall asleep, suddenly a door slams open in front of me, light flooding into the room. My head jerks up immediately, eyes squinting in the sudden light. Someone is standing on the door, the light from outside turning the person's features into a silhouette. But I can always recognize that pink hair, this feeling of utter safety and relief that immediately floods into my mind._

"_Lightning!" I wheeze out in relief, all my fears immediately forgotten. I'm safe!_

_Lightning approaches me wordlessly, her face still hidden in the darkness. However, I keep staring at her, relief bordering at ecstasy surging through me. _

_I'm safe… Lightning is here! She'll release me and we'll go home together…_

_Lightning bows down to cut the ropes off, and— _

My eyes snap open, immediately meeting the moonlit stone floor of my cell. All the feeling of relief and safety disappears in an instant without a trace, leaving only despair behind. I try looking up in the faint hope that Lightning may really be there, but when I see no one else in the dark cell, my hope shatters.

_She's not here._

Iron bands seem to tighten around my heart, making it difficult to breathe. Tears begin to flow down my cheek, dropping to the floor and stay there, gleaming silver under the moonlight.

_It was just a dream…_

I bite my lips angrily, trying to stop the flow of tears.

_But it's felt so real…_

I shake my head vigorously, trying to get rid of the remnants of that... _beautiful _nightmare.

Lightning's not here. Now that I've admitted that fact, I can breathe easier, even though my heart still throbs painfully.

* * *

><p>It's been a few days since our capture. I can't really remember the details, I only remember waking up when the soldiers dragged me into this cell and spread my arms, chaining them into two metal rings in the wall. The chains prevent me from using magic, and they really hurt; they dig into my wrists whenever I moved. Worse still, it's impossible not to move; the metal rings are stuck high on the wall, and my chains are too short. It forces me to stand on tip-toe to prevent the chains from cutting into my wrists. However, this proved harder as time passed. I got tired soon, and it was impossible to sleep without letting my body go slack, to the expense of getting my wrists cut. At first I'd tried not to sleep, but as time passed my exhaustion won and I fell asleep. When I woke up, my wrists were bleeding.<p>

I hate the chains. I hate the cell. I hate the sturdy metal bars in front of me. I mean, I already can't move because of the chains; why must they cage me behind these metal bars, anyway? To make feel claustrophobic? Well, they've succeeded in that one.

Beyond the metal bars, there is some sort of a square built with the same dark brown stones as the walls of my cell. The whole place is always dark—there are no lamps. More cells fill the square's perimeter, as well as doors— doors through which soldiers enter and leave during their shifts. There are so many PSICOM soldiers, their numbers far exceeding those usually allocated to normal posts. Some soldiers always stand guard along the perimeter of the square. I can't see if the square has a roof or not, but I assume so since it didn't get wet even though it rained yesterday. Yes, I could see the rain falling from a small window in the left wall of my cell, a window too small for even a child to pass through. That window is the only connection I have with the outer world, a small patch of blue sky in the darkness of the cell. But for now, it is just a patch of silver box that allows moonlight to enter.

From my overall observation, I can get the outline of this prison quite clearly. This must be some kind of a large rectangular stone building, with the square in the middle and cells and doors filling its perimeter. One of those doors may lead outside… but I've never been able to find which one.

Given the high number of soldiers and the extremely thick stone walls, I conclude that I must be in Zalera, the biggest prison in Eden. It is one of the few buildings in the capital which is not made of metal. However, upon seeing the thickness of these stone slabs, I doubt even metals can be any harder.

I sigh heavily. This is certainly not the best place to get imprisoned. The whole prison has a heavy atmosphere in it, one that causes the prisoners to despair, to lose hope. Luckily, I know that I'm not alone in here. On that day when they threw me in, I remember seeing Sazh, Hope and Snow too. They must be in one of these cells, chained like me.

However, I've never seen Lightning, Fang or Vanille. I keep telling myself that their absence means they are still free, they are somewhere out there. Probably they may even be the reason on why Barthandelus or Rosch hasn't come to order our executions yet. Maybe they've killed Barthandelus and Rosch… and maybe they are heading here at this very moment, going to free us from this prison…

Or they may be dead and Barthandelus just wants to prolong our suffering in this prison until he gets bored and order our executions.

The thought makes me shudder. That thought always manages to drown me in despair.

_If they really are dead… then no one is coming to help us…_

I bite my lips angrily, trying to get rid of that thought. It only makes me lose hope, lose my will to live… and that's, that's something Lightning always tells me not to. That's why, I keep forcing myself to think that Lightning, Fang and Vanille are okay, that they've defeated Barthandelus and Rosch, and that they are coming here at this very moment to save us.

However, most of the times I just force myself not to think about them at all. Thinking about Lightning always fills me with a longing so great that it almost suffocates me.

I sigh again as my stomach rumbles. I'm hungry. The jailers rarely feed us… if this continues, we may die out of starvation soon. I don't want to die before at least seeing Lightning for one last time…

I shake my head, trying not to think about Lightning anymore. I don't know how long I'm going to get imprisoned here, but if Lightning is still alive, then one day she will surely come. I only need to wait, although the uncertainties of that future keep me frightened and desperate.

Another tear rolls down my cheek as I close my eyes, trying to get myself to fall asleep so I can stop thinking about all this.

_But to be honest, I really want to see her… I will do anything, anything to see Light again… _

…_Even if only in my dreams._

* * *

><p>The sun has long set in Oerba and the moon begins to climb to its zenith in the dark sky as Fang and Vanille look up to see Lightning striding out of the building. All her bandages have been removed, and she is already wearing her usual outfit by now, complete with her gunblade.<p>

"Hey, what's up, Light?" Fang asks, grinning. "How are ya feeling?"

Fang may not look like it, but she is actually relieved to see Lightning finally able to walk around again. For the past few days Vanille had been healing her continuously and forcing her to eat herbs, ones that made her drowsy. Thus Light unwillingly spent the last few days sleeping, which had proved to be beneficial for her recuperation. Plus, thanks to Vanille's hard work, Lightning ends up with no scar at all. Vanille really is one formidable healer.

"Fine," Lightning grumbles her answer.

Fang snorts. "Ya think I'd buy that? You got yourself skinned like an Orobon just a few days ago. Even idiots would know that it must have hurt like hell."

"I said I'm fine," Lightning says again, not slowing her stride.

"Wait, where are you going, Light?" Vanille asks worriedly as Lightning briskly walks past them. Fang simply rises her eyebrow, observing Lightning's stiff jaws and the glare of her eyes. There is something in them that makes her worried… but…

Lightning ignores Vanille's question and continues walking away, her form quickly fading away in the shadows.

"Light, wait! Where are you going?" Vanille scrambles up to her feet, trying to chase after Lightning. However, she is stopped when Fang grabs her arm sternly. She turns around to face her best friend, annoyed and confused.

"Leave her be," Fang says, gesturing at Lightning. "She wants to be alone."

Fang's gaze is so unarguable, and despite her usual carefree attitude, she looks serious this time. Vanille hesitates, but since Fang insists, she finally sighs and sits back down. Biting her lower lip nervously, Vanille glances at Lightning's direction. She has disappeared by now.

_Light… what are you up to? _Vanille thinks worriedly. There was something in Lightning's eyes that made her really, really worried.

* * *

><p>Lightning makes her way quickly out of the area, past the old school and Fang and Vanille's dilapidated house. There is no monster to obstruct her path; the village streets are completely empty. Just like Lightning's eyes. It is as though she no longer cares about her surrounding; she just keeps walking, her eyes staring but not seeing.<p>

Lightning keeps walking until she reaches the junction between the dwelling area and the road that leads straight out of Oerba. Still, nothing in the streets but the moonlight and shadows. After closing her eyes as she inhales deeply, Lightning continues her stride until finally… there.

At the side of the road, grows an extremely tall tree, one of the few trees still left in Oerba. This tree is gigantic; most of its branches are as thick as an Adamantoise's tusks. Lightning can't even see its top branches from the ground. It reaches solemnly to the sky like an old giant's hand, wrinkled and emanating with faded glory. Its massive trunk is surrounded by numerous large boulders, preventing anything from reaching the trunk itself. However, Lightning knows a path through those boulders that provides access to the tree trunk. Silently, she slips into the closed area. This particular area beneath the tree is covered in silver, result of the moonlight being filtered through the leaves and trapped within the wall of boulders. All in all, this place is secluded and quiet. Just what Lightning needs.

Without hesitating, Lightning climbs the ancient tree. She jumps up high, grabbing the lowest branch and hoists her body up easily. From there, she jumps her way up from one branch to another, brushing leaves aside absentmindedly.

After a while, the dark leaves finally part and Lightning can see parts of the night sky. She makes one final jump and hoists herself up to the topmost branch. It gives her a perfect view of the vast sky, totally uncovered by buildings, leaves or anything else. The stars stare back at her coldly from their seats in the dark sky.

_It's all my fault, _Lightning thinks as she closes her eyes, inhaling sharply. The demons of her thoughts have been haunting her day and night, torturing her even in her sleep.

_They got captured because I failed. I couldn't protect anyone._

Lightning opens her eyes, looking back up at the stars. Her frown deepens. She thought coming here may calm her mind, but it doesn't. Nothing can stop her from thinking about the others, about their capture, about how they must be imprisoned right now. Coming here doesn't change anything.

Growling in anger, Lightning jumps down from the branch, closing her eyes. The feeling of the wind brushing against her as she falls usually can calm her down, or at least distracts her mind, but not this time. Her heart still throbs as painful as ever.

Just before she falls past the lowest branch, Lightning's eyes snap open and she grabs the branch. And despite the energy of her fall is so great, Lightning still stubbornly holds on to the branch, stopping her fall abruptly. Her arm muscles jerk in the exertion, her fingers scraped by the sharp edges of the bark. But she can't care less. She just wants to get rid of this nagging feeling, this pain throbbing at the base of her heart. Yet it's still there. If not, it seems to have increased in intensity.

As Lightning releases her grip and lets herself drop the last few meters to the ground, she lets out a growl. She straightens up, staring at the tree trunk in front of her.

_It was so close._

_Only one more inch, only one more downward slash, and I would've erased him out of this world for good._

_Why the hell can't I do it? _

_So weak… fainting without finishing the job…_

_And now they are the ones paying the price._

Lightning's body trembles dangerously as these thoughts flash in her mind. She's failed… She couldn't kill Barthandelus. Even though he must be badly injured now, but he is still alive. All that fighting now goes for naught; because she was too weak to finish him off. And now the others are imprisoned, probably encountering Etro-knows what tortures, while she stands here perfectly okay. And who knows, Barthandelus might have recovered by now. He might even have ordered the others' execution. And she'll never see Serah again.

A painful memory suddenly comes forth and Lightning's heart throbs even more painfully, forcing her to clutch at her chest. It is a memory of Serah, when Lightning saw her for the last split second of time before the PSICOM soldiers caught her. Her sister has stretched her arm out towards her, mouth forming the unmistakable word 'help' that Lightning saw even though Serah didn't even have the time to say the word out loud. Yet Lightning has failed in helping her. She's failed as her protector. And now, Serah may have been… dead. Along with Hope, Sazh and Snow.

And that's because she's failed.

Roaring, Lightning charges at the tree and slams her fist into it so hard it cracks immediately, bits of broken bark raining down to the ground with the tree's groan of protest. The impact has been so great that it immediately tears the skin on Lightning's fists, but she doesn't care. All she wants is to stop the excruciating throbs in her heart, to get rid of the painful memories that keep flashing in her mind.

Yet they remain. Baring her teeth in fury, Lightning punches the tree again, this time creating a deep dent in the trunk and breaking her knuckles. Ignoring the sickening crack of her knuckles as she flexes her fist, Lightning punches the tree yet again, roaring, the pain in her hand does little to distract her mind from the others' faces. Tears of anger begin to fall, flowing down Lightning's cheek and stay there stubbornly, refusing to fall down to the ground. Lightning grits her teeth angrily, once again slamming her hand into the tree and lets her nails dig into the bark. As her heart throbs again mercilessly, Lightning tightens her grip on the tree, her body trembling uncontrollably, her breathing ragged.

"…Light?"

Lightning's head jerks up at that familiar voice.

_How the hell did I not notice her approach?_

Lightning shakes her head in anger, growling dangerously. "Leave me alone, Vanille."

Vanille ignores Lightning's warning; instead her footsteps grow even nearer.

"I said LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lightning roars, turning around to face the redhead. Vanille looks back at her with her forest green eyes, which has not the slightest hint of fear in them.

"I won't leave you to clobber your own hand to pulp, Light," says Vanille calmly, eyeing Lightning's bloody hand.

Anger quickly rises in Lightning, burning her insides like poison. _How dare this brat talk to me like she knows everything…_

Forcing herself to remain calm, Lightning lets out another growl, her voice reaches a dangerous edge that would've sent normal people running for their lives. "You'd better leave, _now_."

Vanille shakes her head stubbornly. "Nope, not before I heal you, Light."

"I don't need your help! Just LEAVE!" Lightning roars. This time she can no longer control her anger, and without her knowing it, a Thunder spell has formed in her right hand.

BOOM!

Lightning stares, surprised, at the scorched ground where her earlier Thunder spell has struck. She hasn't even decided to unleash a Thunder spell… it has come out of her anger. It may have hit the ground, but it was just pure luck; has she not been that lucky, that Thunder spell might have hit Vanille instead.

_What the hell have I done?_

Lightning doesn't even know what to think anymore. She almost hurt Vanille. Yet the girl keeps staring at her wide-eyed, still without fear in them.

"You won't hurt me," Vanille suddenly whispers, looking right into Lightning's eyes as she steps closer towards the soldier.

Her words stab Lightning like knives. That complete trust, that naïve belief… She reminds Lightning exactly of Serah.

All anger and strength seem to suddenly leave Lightning. She feels empty. A useless, honorless piece of trash that almost hurts her own friend... Lightning turns her back on Vanille, unable to muster the courage to look into her eyes.

"Don't come near me, Vanille… I might really hurt you…" Lightning says, closing her eyes in defeat. "It's true, after all. Lightning only destroys… it doesn't protect."

"No, it doesn't…" Vanille agrees calmly.

Then out of a sudden Lightning feels Vanille's arms wrapped around her waist and her head leans gently against her back. Without giving the soldier any chance to react, the redhead continues.

"…but _you _do."

Lightning's eyes snap open, staring into the darkness in surprise. _What…?_

Vanille releases her soon after, and without her support, Lightning cannot muster the strength to remain standing. She falls to her knees, shutting her eyes closed again.

Then Lightning feels Vanille kneeling down in front of her too.

Not wanting to let Vanille see the tears of anger that still cling to her cheeks, Lightning throws her face away from the redhead.

"You're trusting me too much. Look at what I've done, Vanille. I couldn't save anyone. I couldn't even finish my job and finish _him _off… All the others' sacrifice has come into nothing. Because of me…" Lightning whispers without opening her eyes. She still can't stand to look into those serene, trusting green orbs yet…

But then Lightning's eyes open again as she feels Vanille's hands cupping her face, forcing her to face the redhead and look straight into those forest green eyes. Without hesitation, Vanille wipes off the angry tears on Lightning's cheeks with her thumbs. And despite Lightning has never liked such closeness and intimacy, but she finds herself unable to shake Vanille's hands off.

"Lightning, stop blaming yourself… None of us does, so why must you torture yourself? If the others are here, they wouldn't want you to do that," Vanille says softly.

"It's not your fault," she continues. "It's not your fault at all. You've fought as hard as you could, anything more and you would've killed yourself. Trust me, even if you killed Barthandelus, but died doing that, we won't be much better off! We all don't want to lose you."

When Lightning doesn't respond, Vanille continues.

"Barthandelus may still be alive, but so what? You've injured him greatly. He must be regenerating right now; he won't have enough strength to even order the others' execution. And Rosch is dead… So what's there to fear?" Vanille tilts her head slightly.

Lightning sighs. What Vanille said has somehow reduced the throbs in her heart, but there is still one thing she fears.

Without looking at Vanille's eyes, Lightning speaks. "I'm afraid… that the others may be suffering right now in prison… while I stand here perfectly alright."

Vanille huffs upon hearing this.

"Light, don't think that way! Every one of us knows the risk of this battle. No one is stupid enough to think that this battle can be won without casualties, not even Snow. And no one blames you for it. Hell, you have experienced enough share of pain, right? You should've seen yourself when Fang brought you back! Please, Light, don't blame yourself. You've done more than enough. The others know this; no one's blaming you. In fact, I'm sure everyone is thankful that you are still alive."

Lightning stares at Vanille, her words have struck her like a splash of cold water. She has never seen things that way before… she's wanted to protect everyone, she doesn't want anyone to get hurt… but now that she thinks of it, it is actually her who hasn't realized just how strong her friends really are. They are more than ready to face whatever fights they must in order to defeat Barthandelus, no matter the consequences.

Vanille smiles as she sees the light returning into Lightning's blue eyes.

"I know this is hard, since we are now separated from the others, Light…but we are your new family now. We'll stick together until we defeat Barthandelus, you hear me?" Vanille says sternly. "No blaming yourself. We are in this together; and we shall be together till the end. Just don't think about it too hard; we only have to focus to save the others now. As long as we stick together, we'll be okay. We'll suffer more if we lose you."

Lightning finally stares directly into Vanille's eyes, sapphire meeting emerald. Then she sighs in defeat, closing her eyes. "Right…"

"That's the Lightning I know."

With that, Vanille pulls Lightning's face closer and kisses her forehead tenderly.

Lightning's eyes snap open, her face immediately flushes as she realizes what has just happened. She is completely stunned, gaping at Vanille who simply smiles back shyly at her.

Before Lightning can say anything, Vanille has leaped back up to her feet, giggling as she offers her hand out to Light. "Alrighty, up we go!"

Lightning accepts the offered hand, standing back up onto her feet. She tries to pull her hand back, but Vanille refuses to let go. Frowning, Lightning looks down at her hand and sees Vanille's Curaga already working on it, stitching back flesh and bone. Once she is done, Vanille lets her hand go.

And despite it was so low that Vanille had to strain her ears, but she can still hear Lightning muttering 'thank you.'

Vanille smiles at the soldier. "You're much welcome, Light," she says happily.

Lightning looks away, somewhat embarrassed. But then she speaks again.

"Y'know, you're stronger than I am, Vanille."

It's true. Vanille can always remain hopeful in every situation, no matter how grim. She can always face any danger with a smile on her face, holding in all her fears inside. Lightning admires her for that… despite she's never mentioned anything about it, of course. In fact, Vanille's positive attitude is sometimes the only thing that gives Lightning hope. Like right now.

Vanille just stares wide-eyed at the soldier for a while, amazed. Then she laughs.

"No, not really, Light. Y'know, I was extremely worried about the others, too… but y'see, whenever I'm afraid, I'd just close my eyes and lose myself in happier days," she replies.

"Hn," Lightning shrugs. Without being able to stop herself, Lightning asks, "Does it work?" and immediately chastises herself mentally.

_What the hell was that for? It's none of my business… have I insulted her?_

Vanille smiles sadly. "Usually it does, but this time it doesn't… Guess I'm just too worried," she shrugs. Lightning immediately feels bad for asking, but Vanille doesn't seem to mind. She keeps smiling, before chirping again, "But enough 'bout me! How about you, Light? I've never known… what do you do when you are upset?"

Lightning usually avoids such personal question, but Vanille has been more than honest to her. About right if she returns the favor. But still… wouldn't it sound ridiculous?

Upon facing Lightning's sudden quietness, Vanille immediately backtracks. "I mean, it's okay if you don't want to answer that… geez, I'm sorry if I keep asking you this kind of personal questions. But I just wanted to—"

"…Stargazing."

"Huh?"

"That's what I do when I'm upset," Lightning says. "Stargazing. Seeing those uncaring cold stars, it helps me to calm down. Seeing the vastness, the infinity of the sky, it makes me feel that my problems are small compared to it."

Vanille stares at Lightning for a while, before a wide smile spreads on her face.

"Wow, I would've never thought of that, Light! Was that what you were doing up there in the tree?" she asks.

Lightning narrows her eyes at the redhead. "Since when have you been watching me, actually?" she asks warily.

Vanille's hand flies to cover her mouth. "Oooops!" she giggles guiltily. "Looks like I'm caught… Well, I've been following you since a while after you left… I didn't want to disturb you since Fang said you wanted to be alone, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing when you started hurting yourself," she admits shyly. "Sorry!"

Lightning shakes her head, shrugging. "Don't be. I'm… glad you came."

Vanille can't believe what she just heard. Has it been any other person, she would've hugged her for saying such a sweet thing. But it looks like Lightning has gone through enough ordeal tonight without having to go through another set of embarrassment… Vanille smothers a chuckle. Lightning is too sensitive, even a mere hug is enough to make her feel embarrassed. But at the same time, there is something sad about it too. Vanille never feels embarrassed about being hugged, she thinks hugs are normal since she often gets them, but Lightning… maybe her embarrassment comes from the fact that she doesn't get many hugs. The thought saddens Vanille, but she knows there is nothing much she can do about it.

Vanille looks at Lightning again. The soldier seems to have calmed down by now; she is currently looking up at the sky again. It's true that Vanille has been following her since almost the beginning, but she doesn't tell Lightning that she almost cried too when she sees how hurt the soldier has been. Seeing the usually stoic, fearless soldier crumbling down like that… seeing her blaming herself, seeing her crying and hurting herself… it was just too much for Vanille. Despite she has promised Fang that she would leave Lightning alone, but she just couldn't. And that's when she stepped in. She just doesn't want Lightning to get hurt. Just like Fang, Vanille has grown to care about the soldier much like an older sister. She can't stand seeing Lightning suffer.

Vanille stares at Lightning's eyes silently. She likes those deep blue eyes… they always look so calm, serious, determined and sometimes, fierce in battles. Vanille has seen them ice-cold like frozen lakes, piercing like ice, or flaring like blue flames before. It's rare, but sometimes she is also lucky enough to see those blue pools filled with warmth. And Vanille longs to see those eyes shining warmly again, she hates seeing them twist with anger, hurt and pain like just now. At least now they are back to their usual cold state… but still, the dark abyss in the center of those deep blue eyes are always tinged with a faint sadness and loneliness, one that never goes away no matter what, proof of how much Lightning has gone through in her life. Vanille sighs. She hopes one day she can see those eyes shining warmly without that sadness… she just wants Lightning to be happy.

"Umm, so what are you gonna do now?" Vanille asks Lightning when the silence gets a little uncomfortable for her.

Lightning shrugs. "Stargazing didn't help before… but now I've felt better, thanks to you. I want to do it again. Just go back to Fang first if you want, Vanille," Lightning says, turning her back on Vanille again as she heads for the tree trunk.

"Umm, ok…" comes Vanille's reply.

But something in her voice makes Lightning stop and turn her head around to look at the redhead. The girl is staring at Lightning with a longing in her eyes that reminds Lightning of Serah yet again. That's exactly the look in Serah's eyes whenever she wants ice cream but doesn't dare to ask for it. Lightning huffs.

"Or do you want to come with me?"

Upon hearing that, immediately Vanille's eyes brighten and she nods vigorously, smiling widely at Lightning with child-like happiness.

But then her eyes turn gloomy again, as fast as it brightens.

"What is it?" Lightning asks, rising her eyebrow.

"Umm… I just don't think I can climb this tall of a tree…"

"I'll help you."

With that, Lightning jumps up to the lowest branch, before reaching her hand down to Vanille and holding on to a branch above with her other hand.

"Jump as high as you can. Grab my hand."

Vanille hesitates, but she decides to trust Lightning. Light'll never let her get hurt, Vanille is sure on it. And so Vanille jumps as high as she can, squealing as Lightning catches her forearm. Usually when two people are in this position, both of them have to hold on to each other so they don't fall. But now, Vanille doesn't even have to do that. Light is more than able to carry Vanille's whole weight without the redhead having to grip onto her hand. Vanille feels the muscles on Lightning's forearm bulge and tense as she hoists her up onto the branch, using the branch her other hand is holding on to steady herself. And before she knows it, Vanille has been sitting on the branch safely. She looks at Lightning in admiration, somewhat envious of the soldier's strength.

Lightning gives Vanille a lazy smirk, before jumping up to the next branch.

"Hey, wait!" Vanille squeals.

From there, it gets much easier. Vanille just has to follow Lightning, the soldier showing her the easiest and safest branches to climb. As they reach the core of the tree, their surrounding turns pitch-black, the leaves completely blocking the moonlight. Vanille fears they may not be able to see the next branch and fall. But when she says this to Lightning, the soldier just chuckles.

"Just wait for a while; you'll see something better," Lightning says, her hand gripping Vanille's shaking arm firmly, preventing her from falling.

"What are you…"

But then Vanille sees what Lightning meant. The branches of the tree suddenly begin to glow greenish, thousands of tiny glowing fungi covering it. They are just like the ones in Sulyya Spring! Vanille looks at them wide-eyed, before looking back at Lightning's face that is illuminated with the mystical green light.

"I never know these fungi grow up here, too," Vanille states in amazement. Lightning rises her eyebrow.

"Because you don't climb trees?"

Vanille laughs. "Yeah, that must be why. Don't blame me, I'm not like you who can jump and somersault around!" she says, giving Lightning's shoulder a playful push. Lightning just smirks, shrugging.

"Now you know how beautiful it is up here," Lightning says. Vanille immediately notices that Lightning's eyes' color has matched that of the glowing fungi: greenish blue.

With that, they continue climbing. All the time Vanille can't take her eyes off the glimmering branches. Some parts are pitch-black while some are illuminated, surrounding them with a greenish constellation. Vanille feels like she is dreaming as Lightning pulls her up from branch to branch. She never thought climbing trees can be this beautiful. But of course, if Lightning isn't here with her, Vanille would still freak out despite the cosmic beauty of the glowing fungi. With the soldier near her, Vanille feels utterly safe, assured that even if she falls, Lightning would be able to catch her before she even hits any branch. Smiling peacefully, Vanille continues climbing,

Finally, the darkness of the leaves above them clear and Vanille sees the night sky. Lightning hoists her up onto the topmost branch, and there they sit side by side, looking up at the starry sky. Vanille gazes up peacefully at the stars that blink back at her. She looks to her left towards Lightning, seeing the soldier's feature being illuminated by the glow of the fungi growing on the branch they are sitting on. Lightning is sitting with her elbow on one bent knee while her other leg dangles off the branch carelessly, looking completely relaxed now that she is at her sanctuary.

"You're right… this is wonderful." Vanille says, smiling as she stares up at the sky high above.

Lightning glances sidelong at Vanille. Seeing the redhead sitting there like a kid, humming softly, makes Lightning feel like she's having another little sister. A perkier, more talkative one, but one she cares about so much none the less.

Lightning clenches her fists. She resolves never to let anything hurt Vanille, nor Fang, in the future. She has grown to care about them so much, like her own family. Yes, they will go to save the others tomorrow, and will probably face a big fight. But Lightning promises herself that she's not gonna lose anyone again.

When prayers turn to promises, not even fate can stand in their way.

* * *

><p>And so the two of them stay up there on the tree, staring at the sky, saying nothing yet still enjoying each other's company. Only when Lightning feels Vanille's head falling onto her shoulder as the little girl falls asleep does she start to move.<p>

Sighing, Lightning takes Vanille into her arms gently, trying not to wake the girl up. The redhead must have forced herself to stay awake for a while… but looks like her sleepiness has finally won. Without hesitation, Lightning jumps down the tree; but this time she uses her grav-con unit to land smoothly. And with that, Lightning carries Vanille back towards their building, her heart no longer throbbing painfully.

"Thank you, Vanille," Lightning whispers quietly.

In her sleep, the redhead smiles.

* * *

><p><em>OMG guys, I'm so sorry for this late update D: but y'see, this year I'll be facing my 'O' Levels. It's a series of crazy examinations that will test everything I've learnt so far… and it'll pretty much determine my whole future, as how my teachers say it OTL Well, the point is, I'm sorry but I won't be able to update as often as before. I'll still finish this fic, though… I just hope you guys will bear with my slowness. I'm sorry, but I just want to do well in this 'O' levels. I'm not even going to play Final Fantasy 13-2 until next year when the exams are over :,( Gah, I know, it's hell. But still, I promised myself I won't play. So, no FF13-2 till next year. Let's just hope I can stay alive that long. OTL <em>

_Please bear with me guys! I promise I'll finish this fic, it helps improving my English tremendously after all ^^_


	29. Chapter 29

"You sure there is nothing left behind?" Fang asks Vanille as the redhead walks out of the dilapidated building.

"Yup. I've checked twice."

Fang, Vanille and Lightning are preparing to leave Oerba. After yesterday's event, Lightning is determined to do whatever it takes to save Serah and the others. Her heart still throbs whenever she thinks of her sister imprisoned, but she won't let it hinder her. All in all, she's felt better than the last few days. At least Barthandelus' mocking voice and laughter no longer haunt her in her sleep. She owes that one to Vanille, Lightning thinks. The redhead has managed to comfort her upset mind in a way that she previously believed only Serah can. For that, Lightning is thankful. Now she can give all she's got to fighting, without having to be distracted by the continuous throbbing in her heart anymore.

Fang, meanwhile, hasn't known exactly what has happened yesterday. She'd seen Lightning's eyes when she walked past her last night, she'd seen the dull, empty glow they emitted and she understood immediately how Lightning must have felt. Yet she couldn't find the words to comfort Lightning, she's never been good at that. The most she could do was to let Lightning alone and not disturb her, knowing that Lightning wouldn't want her 'moment of weakness' to be exposed. Fang and Lightning are identical in that aspect. That's why, Fang didn't chase after her and stopped Vanille from following Light as well.

However, it seems that wasn't the case. Vanille had insisted on following Lightning, and despite she'd said she would leave Light alone, Fang is sure the redhead had done something. Fang smirks. Typical Vanille. She wouldn't scold her, though, since whatever it is she'd done seems to have made Lightning feel better. That empty glow in her eyes have subsided, despite not completely gone. Fang can't blame Light for that. It must have been hard for the soldier, to have her beloved Serah snatched away from her reach… especially with that damn mindset of hers, the mindset that Fang's sure is making Lightning blaming herself for the others' fate.

But luckily, thanks to Vanille, she seems to be better now. Fang is positive that Light still blames herself, but at least it doesn't seem to hinder her anymore. So now Fang has no reason to bring back the subject and ask Lightning nor Vanille about whatever happened last night. Nope, she'd just ignore whatever happened and treat Light as per normal. That's the least she can do to 'help' Light.

So now here they are, ready to leave Oerba. Vanille is carrying an old rucksack that she's found inside the old school building. It is filled with bandages, some provision and the blanket they've previously found. Lightning insisted they bring the blanket along since she is sure that it's nearing winter in Cocoon. Fang has tried looking for more blankets then, but to no avail.

Fang turns to look at Lightning. The soldier is currently standing a few meters away, her back towards them as she gazes at Cocoon up above. Fafnir is strapped to her back with a Behemoth-hide strap, another courtesy of rummaging through Oerba's dilapidated buildings. Fang smothers a chuckle. Lightning looks quite scary from behind, wielding those two intimidating weapons: that sophisticated gunblade of hers and the massive Fafnir. Pity those PSICOM soldiers. Not only will they go through the mental shock of seeing the intimidating Lightning soon; but they'll also have to go through all the hell Light is surely going to unleash considering all she's gone through. Fang is sure Lightning is more than enraged despite her currently calm demeanor. And yeah, Fang is also more than ready to help her battle partner unleashing hell upon those scums.

"Hey, Light! We are good to go!" Vanille yells beside Fang, waving at Lightning.

Lightning turns around wordlessly and leads the way out of Oerba.

* * *

><p>It's midday when the group arrives at Archylte Steppe. Along the way, Fang and Vanille have been thinking hard, trying to come up with a plan that will enable them to go to Cocoon. How are they gonna reach that floating planet, anyway? All this time, they've been travelling between Gran Pulse and Cocoon using airships, courtesy of Mnerva, or by portals. None of them are available now… Fang has considered searching though Terra Incognite for old airships. Maybe one of them is still functioning and they can use it to go to Cocoon? But that plan is too uncertain. Fang shakes her head in annoyance; rejecting that plan as well as some other plans that she has thought of.<p>

"So, Light," Fang finally says, turning her head to Lightning who is walking beside her. "Got any plan as to how we are gonna magically reach Cocoon?"

Lightning lets out a scoff. She looks up at Cocoon, and a flicker of fury flashes through her eyes for a second. It is enough to confirm Fang's suspicion of Lightning being utterly furious towards the PSICOM, though.

"Last time those PSICOM invaded Gran Pulse—" Lightning says, frowning as she recalls how Barthandelus has brought them to be ambushed by those damn PSICOM, "—Cocoon style. They used portals."

Lightning turns to face Fang and Vanille.

"Now it's our turn. We are gonna invade Cocoon, Gran Pulse style."

Fang stares at Lightning for a few seconds, stunned. Then realization hits her as an Amphisbaena flies over them. Of course! The only way to Cocoon is by flying… and without airship, what else is left for them? Gran Pulse's flying cuties, the Wyverns, of course! Lightning must have remembered that time on the Palamecia when Fang and Vanille caught a Wyvern, a Gran Pulse-styled miracle, for the party to ride on. Fang laughs.

"Ha! Awesome plan over there, sergeant!"

Vanille laughs as well. "Wow, I've never thought about it, Light! And I've been thinking my brain out for a while now!"

Lightning shrugs. "The only problem is, you two have to teach me how to catch and fly a Wyvern."

"No problem there, yea? It's easy!" Fang grins, patting Lightning's shoulder. "Vanille here mastered it on first try. And if she could do it, so can you, Light."

"Hn. So?"

"All you have to do is to scare the Wyvern, Light. You don't really have to restrain it like Vanille did on the Palamecia, though. That time Vanille restrained the creature just so I could unleash my attack on it and show it who's the boss. Remember? Right after I attacked it, it went grudgingly calm and allowed us to ride it. That's how the creatures are: they have strong instinct of survival. If they meet a stronger foe, they'll run or surrender."

"So, it's simple Light!" Vanille chirps. "You just have to find one Wyvern; whatever type you want, be it Amphisbaena, Svarog or anything. Then simply defeat it, and I'm sure it would bow down to you. With that, just ride it!"

"Be sure not to kill the creature, though," Fang warns. "Don't be too harsh on your attack… The creature won't be useful dead."

"Alright, I get it... Beat the heck outta the creature, show it who's boss, and ride it. But how do I control the creature once it's in the air?" Lightning asks, folding her arms.

"Just stick yer gunblade or Fafnir on the base of the creature's neck. Not too deep, though, it may kill the creature… Just deep enough to go through its hide. After that, you can just move your gunblade to any direction you want and the creature will follow. Simple," Fang smirks.

"Alright, got it. Shall we go now?"

"Hmm." Fang thinks for a while, looking at the sky. "I don't see many Wyvern around here… I say we should split up to different areas and catch our own ride. It'll be faster that way. How's that?"

"I'm fine with that!"

"Whatever."

Fang grins. "Okay then, it's settled… let's meet up here again by sunset. And by then, each of us would already have a Wyvern to ride. Agree?"

Lightning and Vanille confirm their agreement, and with that, the group separates to their own area of choice.

* * *

><p>"Nice catch, 'Nille." Fang smirks as she gestures at Vanille's purplish Amphisbaena. The two Oerbans have returned to their agreed meeting place, each already accompanied with their catch.<p>

Vanille grins back, patting her Amphisbaena at the neck. "He's adorable, right? I found him soaring around Eastern Tor, and he doesn't give me much trouble. He's quite obedient."

Vanille's Amphisbaena is clearly still a youngling. His body is much smaller than that of the usual Amphisbaena and he hasn't yet grown spikes at his wings, but that would mean he can fly faster as well. Besides, he looks both menacing and beautiful, what with his shiny green-and-purple scales and long slender tail tipped with a black thorn. Quite impressive for a show of speed and litheness, once they arrive at Cocoon later. The creature can easily swoop down at the PSICOM soldiers, hitting them with his beak and tail, before rising back up to the sky. Those PSICOM can try to attack the Amphisbaena then, but how many attacks can hit him really? He'll be too fast for the soldiers to attack. And they shall witness the beauty and terror of Gran Pulse's fast flying Wyvern.

Then Vanille shifts her gaze at Fang's catch. "Yours looks like he's gotten quite some beating, Fang," she says, eyeing the creature sympathetically.

While Vanille has caught an Amphisbaena, Fang has caught a Svarog. He is larger in size, black in color, and his head and tail are adorned with spikes and thorns. His wings are bigger and heavier, which will slow him down, but they have spikes as well. That can be an advantage, shall Fang decide to attack while riding the monster. She can just easily ram him into the toughest of shields, and they would break as easily as mirrors. At the same time, the creature's tough scales will protect him from attacks as well. All in all, the Svarog is a perfect manifestation of Gran Pulse's brute strength.

Fang snorts. "Not my fault. He kept trying to kill me, what else do ya want me to do?"

"Who asked you to pick a Svarog after all?" Vanille says accusingly. "If you pick an Amphisbaena, you could have defeated it with one strike without having to put it into such misery like this Svarog."

Fang shrugs. "I couldn't find any Amphisbaena around here. So I went to Yaschas Massif and met this handsome guy trying to eat me. Cute."

Vanille giggles. "Alright, and so you brought the cute guy here with your charm."

"Yep," Fang smirks, patting the Svarog's thorny, scaly black neck lazily. The creature squirms, but keeps still grudgingly as it remembers how Fang has beaten him up so easily. Besides, he can't do anything much; what with Fang's lance that is already fixed firmly in his neck.

"Where's Light anyway?" Fang yawns, looking up at the orange sky. "It's almost sunset here."

"You think she's facing trouble?" asks Vanille worriedly. She too, casts about to look for any sign of Lightning.

"Who, Light? Nah, the only problem she can get is ending up killing every Wyvern she finds," Fang says nonchalantly, stretching. "I mean, seriously, which Wyvern can stand a chance against our Thunder Lady?"

Vanille laughs quietly. "None," she answers, patting her Amphisbaena again.

Just then, a thunderous flap of wings reverberates through the air. Fang and Vanille looks up, alarmed, when they see a large reddish Wyvern flying straight towards them. Vanille's Amphisbaena screeches in fear, flapping its wings in panic. Yet Vanille holds on tightly to her binding rod that has been stuck firmly on his neck, thus preventing him from escaping.

"Is that…?"

True enough, the avian monster soon lands heavily on the ground, snapping its sharp beak with a loud _clack_. And from his back, Lightning jumps down, releasing her grip on Fafnir that has also been fixed on the monster's neck.

"Sorry I'm late," Lightning says. "Couldn't find any Wyvern around here."

Vanille can only gape while Fang raises her eyebrows at the monster. Undoubtedly, the creature is a Zirnitra—the lord of the skies. Its large body is covered in armor-like red scales, its beak filled with fangs like that of a dragon's, its tail tipped with grey spike that looks like a javelin. His massive wings, meanwhile, shimmer like they've been coated in blood under the orange light of the sunset. Added with the spikes along its spine, the creature looks extremely intimidating. And the Zirnitra is an all-rounder—he may not have all the spikes and brute strength like Fang's Svarog, but he is still considerably strong. And the absence of that many spikes mean that the creature can fly faster as well, like Vanille's Amphisbaena. Intimidating, strong and fast rolled into one—those PSICOM will surely have a hard time facing this mighty sky predator of Gran Pulse.

"Wow. You do have nice taste in choosing rides, Light," Fang comments, folding her arms.

"How did you… catch this Zirnitra?" Vanille asks, still amazed as she looks at the creature's massive wings. She couldn't think of any way someone can actually make a Zirnitra frightened and allow itself to be ridden; usually Zirnitra would only fight or flee. Lightning must have done something that _really _scared the creature, something that made it believe that winning the fight or fleeing wasn't possible and thus submit to being ridden.

Lightning shrugs. "Two Wrath of Heavens were enough to scare him out of his wits. I don't know why; the spells didn't even hit him yet he'd already gotten scared to death and just kept still when I approached him."

Fang groans. "Hey, pity the creature a little. That spell of yours _is _scary, y'know."

Vanille nods her head silently. She still remembers that day at the Haerii Acreopolis when Lightning went berserk in the fight against the Cie'th. She can never forget how Lightning has released all those Wrath of Heavens, all those explosion, all the electricity crackling everywhere; all the Cie'th and ground scorched at their wake. No wonder the Zirnitra got frightened half-to-death. The spells must have banished all hope of fleeing from his mind, that's why he surrendered to being ridden in its attempt to escape Lightning's wrath.

Lightning, meanwhile, just shrugs. "I don't care. It's being obedient now, and that's all that matters. Shall we go now? I don't want to waste any more time."

"Alright, then, let's go," says Fang, chuckling.

As soon as Lightning turns her back on them to jump back onto the Zirnitra, Vanille whispers to Fang, "Bet that Zirnitra thought he's met a Thunder Goddess, right?"

Fang laughs, whispering "That's so right," and jumps onto her Svarog. Vanille does the same with her Amphisbaena, who has calmed down upon seeing that the Zirnitra has been bound like him.

"Ready when you are!" Fang shouts, and the three of them tug on their weapons. All the Wyverns immediately respond by spreading their wings, flapping them. Fang feels the familiar sinking feeling in her gut as the Svarog rises to the sky. Below her, the ground tilts crazily while the monster fights gravity and wind. Then, finally everything settles into their rightful position and Fang whoops as strong winds hit her face, blowing her raven hair aback like a galloping horse's mane as her Svarog shoots forwards. And so the ground gets left farther below as the three Wyverns fly higher towards the glimmering Cocoon in the orange sky, their respective riders tugging at their 'reins' to head them up at the right direction.

* * *

><p>Fang smirks as she watches Lightning and her Zirnitra flying past her and Vanille. For a first-timer, she really is doing good: she maintains her balance effortlessly despite the occasional turbulence caused by wind and she doesn't seem disturbed at all by the sight of the ground getting farther and farther. It's nothing surprising, though, considering Lightning has always liked jumping around from high places. She must be used to heights. The thing that impresses Fang the most is the fact that Lightning can even control her Zirnitra's movements not only with Fafnir, but also by giving the base of the creature's wings some nudge with her feet. It allows her to turn the Zirnitra ever so slightly, a feature impossible to be done with just Fafnir. And the feat proves to be extremely useful to avoid random clouds or gusts of wind.<p>

Fang hasn't taught that skill to Lightning, deeming it somewhat unimportant and too detailed, but it seems the soldier has picked the skill up naturally. She has gained quite some mastery of the art of flying Wyvern just on her first try.

"Wow, Lightning, you're not bad at all!" Fang shouts amidst the sound of rushing wind.

Lightning turns her head to look at Fang, her hand never leaving Fafnir's hilt. "Umm, thanks?" she shouts back.

"Y'know, I should introduce you to this hunting game we used to play in Oerba, Light!"

Lightning faces Fang again, looking interested. She nudges her Zirnitra's wings a little, causing him to glide down slightly and positions himself beside Fang's Svarog. The Svarog looks disturbed upon flying that close to a Zirnitra, but Fang wouldn't let it fly astray.

"What's the game about?" Lightning asks.

"Well, basically we hunt while riding Wyverns. Those Gorgonopsids are usually the main targets. We just fly with our Wyverns and kill as many Gorgonopsid as possible, yea? Or race to kill a specific monster, like Behemoth, while still riding. You are not allowed to land a single attack on the target unless you are on your Wyvern."

A spark of interest sparks in Lightning's eyes. "Sounds interesting," she says, looking to the front again yet with a faint smirk on her lips.

Fang laughs. "Let's try it some time, yea?"

"Sure."

"Anyway, what's our plan once we arrive at Cocoon?" Vanille and her Amphisbaena suddenly appear on Fang's left, startling her Svarog a little. The creature snaps its beak in annoyance at the Amphisbaena, who cheerfully ignores him. He knows that the Svarog is as helpless as him as long as his neck is still bound to Fang's lance.

"Charge right through the front door, of course, what else?" Fang answers, smirking lazily. "Correct, Light?"

Lightning shrugs, turning her head to look at her two companions. "That plan won't work anymore. We need a new plan… Listen, once we enter Cocoon, we will head straight to Sunleth Waterscape. We don't know where Serah and the others are, so we need to collect information first, without drawing too much attention on ourselves lest the whole Cocoon chase us everywhere."

Fang nods. "Quick, straightforward, yet thoughtful plan… no wonder you climb up the GC ranks quickly, Light," she comments, smirking.

Vanille, meanwhile, is smiling widely. "Hey, I like Sunleth Waterscape! Glad to be able to go there again," she says cheerfully.

"Why the Sunleth Waterscape, though?" Fang asks Lightning, grinning upon seeing Vanille's carefree enthusiasm.

"There is one PSICOM post located there. It's secluded, but I know all PSICOM posts have access to the main HQ's database… We'll be able to steal information easily from there, without having to worry about being spotted by too many people."

"But wouldn't the soldiers in that post get to see us?" Fang says, scowling. "Wouldn't they immediately broadcast our presence to the whole of Cocoon?"

Lightning scoffs. "Don't you worry 'bout that. PSICOM is selfish and arrogant, they wouldn't want to let the public know that a bunch of Pulse l'Cie have succeeded in infiltrating the safe haven of Cocoon. They'll keep us secret from the public, I'm sure of it." Lightning smirks. "Beside that, the possibility of them actually reporting the incident to the PSICOM superiors at Eden HQ is… also very small, I'd say."

"Really? Why's that?" Vanille asks, confused. "I understand that they wouldn't want the public to know, but why won't they tell their own superiors? Isn't it their responsibility as lower-ranked soldiers?"

"Don't see PSICOM as responsible, protective soldiers who put the people's safety before theirs, Vanille," Lightning answers sharply. "Nope, they are just a bunch of self-serving deceivers and cowards. If they report about our ambush, the superiors would blame it on them for not being able to stop us… That's why, I'm sure they would just merrily pretend that nothing's happened. That way, they might be lucky enough to have us attacking another post and have the blame shifted to that post instead. Anyone, absolutely anyone but them… that's their mindset all along."

"Bunch of honorless corruptors," Fang mutters in disgust under her breath. Lightning gives her a grim smile.

"That's why I prefer GC than PSICOM," she states. "I must admit GC is still as blind as PSICOM in terms of Pulse and everything that lies beyond Cocoon's shell; and I wouldn't say all GC members aren't as corruptive as PSICOM; but at least they protect the citizens better."

"Y'know, you've never really told us much about your days in the GC, Light," Fang comments. "Care to share with us some of your experiences?" she grins at the soldier.

Vanille immediately looks interested, she steers her Amphisbaena a little closer to Lightning's Zirnitra. Lightning groans. "Not now, guys."

"When else?" Fang protests, but Lightning ignores her.

"We have to get ready for a fight immediately when we enter Cocoon," Lightning continues the strategy discussion as if there was no interruption at all. No-nonsense attitude, as always.

"We'll head our Wyverns directly to land right on that PSICOM post. As soon as we land, we'll attack. Feel free to wipe out the foot soldiers; but don't bash the lieutenant on duty. We can give him some beating, sure, but not until he goes out cold because we'll still need to ask him for the info. You two should understand; just treat him like a Wyvern to catch."

Vanille raises her hand like a school kid asking her teacher. "Excuse me, but how do we know which one is the lieutenant?"

"He'll be the one wearing a different-styled PSICOM uniform. The difference is conspicuous, you can't miss it."

Fang grins. "Quite easy to identify, yea?"

Lightning glares at her sharply. "You'd better not touch the man, Fang. Unless you convince me otherwise, I always have this concern that you might end up getting carried away and kill the lieutenant. I'll tolerate none of that. We won't find any better post in Cocoon to find info, so don't waste this chance."

"Aww, don't worry 'bout that," Fang says with a lazy smirk. "I'll be at my best battle behavior, like usual, yea?"

Lightning seems unconvinced. "Seriously, Fang, I want you to just channel that strength of yours on wiping off the soldiers. After we finish them, you just stay low and Vanille or I will deal with the lieutenant."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I'm this group's big gun, after all. I'm here to wipe off all the obstacles for you to saunter in and finish the job, yea, _Sergeant_?" Fang answers cockily, smirking at Lightning.

"Don't be so cocky, now!" Vanille scoffs upon hearing that last line from Fang. "If you keep it up, I won't heal you even if you get hurt later and lie there shouting for my help!"

Fang turns to face Vanille, annoyed. "Excuse me? I can heal myself just fine, missy! I know healing spells too!"

Vanille scoffs again loudly. "Really, now? Last time I checked, you haven't even mastered Curaga yet! Admit it, Oerba Yun Fang, you are a lousy Medic!"

"Oi! That was rich, coming from a Sentinel who hasn't even mastered Mediguard!" Fang retorts, unconsciously pressing her lance down, causing her Svarog to yelp in pain. Fang quickly releases her grip on the lance and pats the creature's neck apologetically.

Vanille, meanwhile, is shouting her annoyed reply back to Fang. "So what if I'm a lousy Sentinel? At least I'm the best in healing! I'm the one sustaining your life whenever you act as Sentinel and get overwhelmed by monsters, okay! 'cos I'm sure Mediguard isn't enough to save your sorry skin an—"

"Oerba Dia Vanille, you've grown from an innocent kid to such an insolent teenager! Are you implying that Medic is more important than Sentinel?" Fang cuts her sentence.

"Not really, but I am indeed saying that you can't survive on your own, Miss 'Big Gun'! You still need me to heal you! Which brings us to our initial point, stop being so cocky!"

"For your info, I'm not being cocky, I'm just being confident of my skills! Are you expecting me to have low self-esteem like that old man Sazh and keep saying 'I'm too old for this'? Or, in my case, 'I'm too strong for this'?"

"Gosh, all your arguments are contradicting yourself, Fang! How can you say you are not being cocky when the last part of that same argument is extremely cocky? Seriously, you can throw all your arguments straight into—"

"Don't you dare begin on—"

"Don't you dare cut me when I'm—"

"Hey, toddlers!" Lightning suddenly shouts in exasperation, startling the two Oerbans. "Stop your childish, useless argument and just focus on the task ahead!" she barks, seemingly unable to tolerate Fang and Vanille's noisy argument anymore.

The two Oerbans fall silent for a few seconds, then Fang bursts out laughing while Vanille just smiles sheepishly.

"Sorry, Light… and Fang!" Vanille giggles.

Lightning just grumbles, while Fang grins and says, "Sorry too, li'l miss. Ha, now that we've apologized, everything's back to sugar and rainbow again, yea?"

Vanille laughs, but Lightning is not amused, judging from the scowl on her face. Smothering their chuckles, the two Oerbans just remain silent so as not to irk Lightning further.

* * *

><p>After that, no one else talks. They just concentrate on riding, heading their Wyverns higher and higher towards Cocoon. Orange clouds drift past them, water droplets clinging to the Wyverns' wings and causing their scales to dazzle like crystals whenever the reddish sunlight hits them. Currently the group is flying through a particularly thick layer of clouds, and the air gets cooler as they get nearer to Cocoon; proof of Lightning's suspicion that it is nearing winter there.<p>

Then suddenly the clouds part and the group find themselves hovering right in front of Cocoon. The usually small-sized sphere floating on the Gran Pulse's sky now bulks over them, a massive thick wall of golden brown blocking their paths. The sunlight reflecting off the surface is blinding; causing Fang, Lightning and Vanille to squint as they steer their Wyverns vertically upwards towards the crack in Cocoon's shell; the only entry into the stout sphere.

The three Wyvern riders grab tightly on their weapons and the spikes along the Wyverns' backs; preventing their bodies from falling off as the Wyverns fly vertically upwards. Just when the strain starts to hurt their arms, the golden brown wall of Cocoon gives way to the greenish light of the crack. Huffing in relief, Lightning, Fang and Vanille tug at their weapons, driving the Wyverns to fly straight into Cocoon; towards the lush forests of Sunleth Waterscape where the PSICOM post lies, oblivious that they are going to get bashed soon. The storm is coming.

* * *

><p>It is just a normal, boring day for the PSICOM soldiers allocated to Sunleth Waterscape Post. Absolutely nothing of interest has happened there ever since the post was built, not even some common problems like Flan infestation, landslide or flood. The soldiers allocated there are mostly the newly-graduated cadets from PSICOM military base. The post gives them an opportunity to begin their career at a real PSICOM post, but not one that poses dangers they cannot yet handle. Practically, one can see the Sunleth Waterscape Post as a higher-leveled training camp.<p>

However, while the freshman soldiers are highly spirited at their new post, the higher-ranked soldiers are grumpy and bitter, filled with resentment upon their allocation to this Sunleth Waterscape Post. In this too-calm post, they see no chance to prove themselves. Meaning, they would take a very long time to be promoted to the next rank. Which is the whole objective of the PSICOM superiors, of course. To them, Sunleth Waterscape Post is like a trash bin: a post where they send those soldiers who are either deemed hopeless or too ambitious to the point of becoming a threat. There are also other soldiers who have caused trouble and are sent to this post to cool their heads down. Probably the only person who isn't considered as 'military trash' is the lieutenant. He is just being unlucky to be sent to this post to overlook the 'trash', but he isn't trash himself.

Despite this grim, sleepy atmosphere of the post, somehow the freshmen are always zestful. Being inexperienced in real military affairs, they keep hoping that one day some big and important incidents will happen in Sunleth Waterscape, and they would get to be the heroes to resolve everything considering there isn't any other PSICOM posts nearby to interfere. But the reality is, nothing actually happens in Sunleth Waterscape. Which is why there is only that one miserable post there, a post built more for formality purpose than security.

But today, that big incident the Sunleth Waterscape soldiers have been waiting for is finally going to happen. Unfortunately, this incident is way bigger than even other, stronger posts have ever faced before. These soldiers will stand no chance.

* * *

><p>The soldiers are gathering at the square in front of the post to do their usual marching training when suddenly the alarm goes off. The radar has caught three unidentified objects flying towards them in an extremely high speed, faster than any velocycle could reach.<p>

"Attention! This is not a drill! Form your ranks!" barks the lieutenant the moment he hears the alarm. The sudden excitement that injects into the soldiers makes them clumsy, and the lieutenant yells at them angrily. Soon enough, the soldiers have formed their ranks and held their weapons at the ready. Startled cries fill the air as the soldiers stare wide-eyed, mouths agape, at the sight of three giant Wyverns of types they have never seen before shooting towards them. And on their backs, sat three people.

"Defense!" The lieutenant shouts at the foot soldiers as he sees just how big the Wyverns are. He quickly turns around to face the artillery unit positioned behind him and orders them to aim at the Wyverns. "Focus on the riders first!" he barks. Somehow, he feels that the riders are even more dangerous than the Wyverns despite the creatures' monstrosity and fearsome appearance. He throws a glance at the other foot soldiers and see them already rising up their shields. Some have even used their device to conjure Protect spells.

But then the lieutenant looks into one of the riders' eyes, a pink-haired woman riding the crimson Wyvern. And he freezes the moment he sees those piercing blue eyes. He doesn't know exactly why, but this woman fills him with a fear so great he cannot even twitch.

* * *

><p>Lightning glares down at the ranks of soldiers beneath her. She can already see the lieutenant; the man wearing blue uniform instead of black. He is standing on a raised platform in the middle of his soldiers; the group in front of him consists of the foot soldiers while the group behind him consists of the artillery unit. Each group consists of a few ranks, and there are quite a number of them.<p>

As Lightning sees all the weapons directed at her and her two friends, her feral instincts kick in and rage boils inside her. She wants nothing, nothing else but to ram her Zirnitra into the soldiers, jump off and just unleash all her attacks. Lightning wants to go berserk. She wants to just let loose all the fury, frustration and worry inside her; to lose herself in battle, and forget all those feelings for a while. She wants to crush this entire place to smithereens, leaving nothing behind but pulp. A small growl escapes her lips.

_Cool your hot head down, sis. _

Lightning grits her teeth, closes her eyes and forces herself to calm down. She takes a deep breath. Serah wouldn't want her to go berserk. Besides, it's not like this post actually has anything direct to do with the others' capture... They probably don't even know anything. She has to admit, not everyone in PSICOM is guilty, and surely not this post. The reason Lightning, Fang and Vanille are here is just to gather info about the others. Despite all she has been through, Lightning still won't let herself go berserk upon these… 'innocent' people. This post doesn't deserve to receive Lightning's full-blown fury—no, that honor would be saved for the soldiers in the prison later, the real subjects of Lightning's fury. That's why, for now, she just has to deal with her rage and hold it in.

Lightning opens her eyes. _They'd better have many more soldiers than this post in the prison, _she thinks grimly._ Because when we get there, I'm not gonna hold back anymore. I'll destroy all those scums, for what they have done… and as compensation for having to restrain myself now._

With that, Lightning pushes her Zirnitra swooping down at the soldiers.

"THE STORM IS HERE!"

With that battle cry, Lightning releases her Wrath of Heavens right into the middle of the ranks.

BOOM!

Screams and cries of pain fill the air as the spell explodes, wiping off almost half of the soldiers in one single strike. The lieutenant steps backwards, covering his head with his arms as bits of rocks fly at every direction, knocking some of the soldiers. He can't believe this. One moment it was a usual, calm day at Sunleth Waterscape; the next moment a bunch of monstrous beings attack, one of them able to summon a divine-looking thunder spell that wipes off half of his soldiers in a single strike.

_Who are these monsters? What do they want from us? _The lieutenant thinks in dread as he looks back up at Lightning. What he sees makes him regret looking up. Lightning is crouching on her Zirnitra's back, her face twists in a furious scowl even as her hand still crackles with electricity. All around her and the Zirnitra, the sky looks like it has been cracked by the remaining purple branches of the Wrath of Heavens.

A sudden movement causes the lieutenant's eyes to leave Lightning and dart away to focus at the wild-looking, raven-haired woman riding the black Wyvern.

Fang, meanwhile, is flashing her ferocious grin and whoops as she rams her Svarog straight into the next rank of soldiers, crushing half the rank. "Ha! Eat that!" The huntress shouts as she steers her Svarog back up to the sky.

Gathering back his senses, with adrenaline and fear rushing in his veins, the lieutenant shouts at the artillery units. "Shoot them, fools! Shoot!"

The units immediately comply, shooting their bazookas straight towards the Wyverns and their riders. However, the little girl with red hair riding the purplish Wyvern suddenly spreads her arms and shouts something. The lieutenant couldn't hear what she was saying, but to his horror he sees the bazookas' warheads exploding a few meters in front of the Wyverns, doing them no harm. And those monsters proceed to land on the ground as though there wasn't anything that just exploded in front of their faces.

_Magic and Pulse-looking monsters… _A cold shiver of paralyzing fear goes through the lieutenant's spine.

_Pulse l'Cie._

* * *

><p>"Y'know, Light," Fang says calmly with a lazy smile on her face as she jumps off her Svarog. "That was quite an entrance you made."<p>

Lightning, who has jumped down faster and is now standing beside her Zirnitra, crosses her arms and stares at Fang. "I only did what was needed."

"Really, now? I thought the foot soldiers are supposed to be mine? Just admit it, you were being greedy, Light. Your Wrath of Heavens wiped off almost half of my share."

Lightning huffs in annoyance. "Fine, sorry. You can have the rest of them if you want."

Fang laughs, putting her hands on her hips. "Just joking, yea? I don't mind sharing a little."

Lightning throws her a sharp glance before reaching sideways to retrieve Fafnir from the Zirnitra's neck, strapping it onto her back again. Fang and Vanille immediately do the same with their weapons, seeing Lightning's action as a signal to prepare for the fight.

As soon as the three Wyverns are free of their 'reins', they immediately spread their wings and fly to the sky desperately, eager to escape from their three fearsome captors. Fang grins as her Svarog and shouts "Nice flying with ya!" while Vanille waves her hands at her Amphisbaena.

Once the three Wyverns are out of sight, Lightning asks Fang. "Can they find their way back to Gran Pulse?"

Fang chortles. "Aren't as cold as you look like, are you, Lightning? I thought you did not give the slightest care about the Wyverns, yet now here you are worrying about their safety. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be okay. It's in their blood to always return to their nests."

"But without them…" Vanille says, looking around. "…these people seem to be a tad more courageous and motivated to attack us."

Lightning and Fang look at the soldiers who have begun to surround them, weapons drawn. One of them can even be seen holding a communication device.

"Heh. Looks like more of them may be chasing us again this time," Fang comments nonchalantly as she looks at the soldier with communication device.

"Aww, man…" Vanille protests.

"But actually," Fang continues, looking to the front again and raising her lance, "…I don't really care if those PSICOM soldiers chase after us."

Lightning smirks joylessly, drawing out her gunblade as well. "We sure are getting used to being forever fugitives," she says sarcastically.

Vanille swings her binding rod around. "Well then, shall we? I don't like being stared at like this…" she says, glancing around in annoyance at the soldiers surrounding them.

"Let's wreak some havoc, then! This'll be _fun_!" Fang whoops as she dashes forward, a second later than Lightning who has begun unleashing her attacks at the nearest PSICOM soldiers. Behind them, Vanille casts Protect and Shell to shield her friends from the incoming bullets.

* * *

><p><em>This is nightmare, <em>the lieutenant thinks as he watches the three riders jumped down from their rides. His soldiers are already beginning to surround them, yet the three l'Cie show no fear at all. _Hell, they look so relaxed! They are even chatting!_ he thinks dreadfully as he sees the raven-haired woman talking to the fearsome pink-haired woman. _How can they be so calm?_

The only answer he can conjure isn't very encouraging. He can only conclude that these people are from an entirely different caliber; they have been through so many fights it's become a normal thing for them. And this fight means nothing for them. Their calm confidence , coupled with having seen that earlier crazy thunder spell, make the lieutenant sweat nervously. _Fal'Cie knows what else they can do… If merely one of them can take out half of my army in one strike, what will happen if the three of them attack simultaneously?_

Despite himself, the lieutenant shivers as he meets those piercing blue eyes again. The woman seems perfectly calm and composed, but he can see deep-yet-restrained fury in her eyes_. She is gonna eradicate us all_, he thinks in despair. He has learned from experience that the people he needs to fear are the ones who remain calm when they are angry. These people can still think clearly despite their rage while getting extra strength from their anger, unlike those who cannot control their anger and just go berserk with brute force. Those people can be handled quite easily, by taking advantage of their anger… but this woman… hell, she is dangerous. Way more dangerous than whomever the lieutenant has met before.

_Why do they come here? What do they want? _the lieutenant thinks in despair. The three l'Cie don't seem to be here for no reason. They want something, he can sense it. They look like they want… revenge? _But for what? _

All these thoughts leave the lieutenant's mind as he sees the two women striking. He shouts his orders, gritting his teeth as he sees the little redhead once again uses her spells to deflect the bullets.

* * *

><p>"I'll crush you all flatter than flat!" Fang shouts as she grins ferociously and unleashes her Highwind onto the group of soldiers. By now the ranks have been broken; the soldiers look like panic-stricken chocobo chicks, running around in confusion and fear.<p>

Not far beside her, Fang sees Lightning releasing her Blitz attacks, dispatching a few soldiers with each one. Vanille, meanwhile, has finished casting protective spells for them all and is whipping running soldiers with her binding rod, scowling at them.

"I'm not all smiles and sunshine!" Vanille yells at the group of soldiers trying to attack her. With a quick flick of her wrists, she strikes those soldiers right on the head with her weapon. Before they can recover, she has followed the attack with a Fira spell, scorching them all. Nodding in satisfaction, Vanille moves on to the next targets. Which aren't many.

Fang clicks her tongue in annoyance. This fighting has been fun, but at this rate, it's gonna end soon. She isn't satisfied with bashing these people yet! Fang starts to regret telling Light that she doesn't mind sharing. Screams from her right makes her turn, and Fang groans as she sees yet another group getting beaten out of their senses by Lightning's Army of One.

She can't take this anymore.

"Oi! Light!" Fang hollers, bashing aside a soldier who is unlucky enough to block her way with her lance, without even looking at him.

Lightning turns to look at Fang, flicking her gunblade back to its blade form after blazing a few bullets at the nearest soldiers. The moment she sees the protesting, almost pouting look on Fang's face, she immediately understands. Rolling her eyes, Lightning dashes away from the soldiers.

"Alright, do whatever you want, Fang!" she shouts, causing a grin to spread on Fang's face. Wow, that was easy! She didn't even have to say anything. Fang sees Lightning dragging Vanille away from the center of the battle, towards the lieutenant guy standing at the peripheral; thus leaving Fang conveniently alone to finish off the remaining soldiers. However, some of them have already begun chasing after Light and Vanille.

Nuh-uh. Not happening, not while Oerba Yun Fang is standing right here.

Fang immediately sends a Ruinga spell at the soldiers chasing her friends, watching it explodes with a cute boom. Smirking, Fang raises her lance above her head and spins it, shouting tauntingly at the soldiers. "Hey, li'l boys! You guys coming or not? Your fight's RIGHT HERE!"

Fang grins triumphantly as she sees all the soldiers' attention falling onto her. They charge at her with an angry, insulted look in their eyes. Amazing what Provoke can get you; Sentinel abilities sometimes can be really awesome.

"Ha!"

With that yell, Fang releases her own attacks at the soldiers who wanted to tear her into shreds. Unfortunately, this Fang will be the one tearing their flesh to morsels.

* * *

><p><em>She's coming, <em>the lieutenant thinks in dread as he sees Lightning and Vanille running straight towards him. All around, almost all his soldiers have been eradicated; the ones left are busy fighting the raven-haired woman. Or, to be precise, busy getting their heads bashed one by one.

He doesn't see any chance to flee, not with that red-haired spellcaster girl. She is surely able to stop him from running away, and then that scary pink-haired woman can just easily gore him. It has come to his attention too that somehow, she is using a _gunblade _as her weapon. A real, Blazefire Saber gunblade. As a lieutenant, he is familiar with various types of weapon. And he knows that gunblades are extremely difficult to master. Only a handful of those from the high caliber of military can handle gunblade, but this woman is using it as easily and effectively as any weapon. She keeps transforming the gunblade from its blade form to its gun form, all done in a very fluent, quick movements. He even once saw her doing it in the midst of a somersault.

_I have no chance against a gunblade wielder like her, _the lieutenant thinks in despair. _Especially not one who can summon a divine Thunder spell at will. _But despite his fear, his military responsibility still leaves enough bravery to enable him to lift his own broad sword, preparing to block whatever attack the woman is going to unleash.

But then, to his surprise, the lieutenant sees Lightning sheathing her gunblade. _What?_

He cannot afford to waste this chance. With a yell, the lieutenant charges at Lightning and brings his sword down upon her neck…

…and his attack is nullified immediately. At a precise timing, Lightning hits his wrist with a well-aimed tackle, one that can only be perfected through countless experience in battles. The tackle forces his arm sideways, his sword doing no harm to anyone.

"Ugh!" Scowling in anger and humiliation, the lieutenant quickly slashes his sword back at Lightning. However, he meets nothing but air as Lightning simply steps back, the blade soaring harmlessly right in front of her eyes. Yet she doesn't even blink. She just continues staring at the lieutenant, her face cold and expressionless.

Cold fear stabs the lieutenant's heart. _What kind of devil…_

And before he can do anything else, the lieutenant feels a powerful hand grabbing his neck and the next thing he knows is that he has been slammed down to the ground, _single-handedly. _He lets out a yelp when his head hits the ground, stars forming in his vision.

"Now I'm gonna say this just once," he hears a cold, husky voice speaking to him. The stars still block his vision, but the lieutenant can feel the sharp edge of a blade pressed against his throat.

The voice continues. "I just defeated you easily without even using any weapon, scum. So you should know that you stand no chance against me or my companions."

By now the lieutenant's vision has cleared and he sees Lightning kneeling beside him, her gunblade pressed firmly against his throat. He looks into her cold blue eyes and sees no mercy there. This woman wants something, and she is not gonna tolerate any nonsense.

"A few days ago, PSICOM arrested a few l'Cie from Gran Pulse. They have been brought here, to Cocoon. Where are they?"

The lieutenant's heart drops. _It's true… they are Pulse l'Cie… if not, they wouldn't be knowing this! Are they trying to save their friends?_

"I don't know," the lieutenant answers, staring right into Lightning's eyes despite his fear, hoping to somehow look fearless and honest.

Lightning's gaze grows colder. She tightens her grip on her gunblade, causing a bleeding scrape to appear on the lieutenant's neck. "Look, when people lie, their pulse quickens. I know you're lying, so you'd better speak the truth now. Or else."

The lieutenant shivers, suddenly realizing that the woman's other hand is pressed firmly above his wrist… monitoring his pulse. No use lying now. But maybe he can just stay silent? He looks back up at Lightning, pressing his lips tightly.

Lightning smirks upon seeing his reaction, a smirk that doesn't reach her eyes. They remain as cold as ever.

"If you talk, I'll spare you. If you don't, I'll skin you right here. You can still stay alive with your skin all scraped off y'know... Alive to feel all the agony, that is." Lightning smirks again. "You can count on that. I know from experience."

The lieutenant gulps. He believes her. He sees it in her eyes, he knows she is saying the truth.

"Your choice. But I don't have the whole day, though. If you don't make up your mind in the next twenty seconds, I'm gonna proceed with the skinning," Lightning continues, cutting the lieutenant's neck a little more with her gunblade to stress her point. She glares right into the man's black eyes.

The lieutenant can't take it anymore. Either way, he's sure this woman is going to kill him despite her saying she'd spare him if he talk. Better to die with a fast decapitation if he talks, rather than dying a slow and painful death if he keeps silent. But then…

"Time's up," Lightning suddenly announces. "Let's start with your scalp shall we?"

"Wait, wait! Alright, alright, I'll talk!" the lieutenant wails in panic, his eyes darting around in fear.

Lightning rises her eyebrows. "So?"

"They are at Zalera! Eden! I don't know the exact cells, but they are there all right!" he spurts out, trying to talk as quickly as he can.

Lightning's glare sharpens. "Does everyone in PSICOM know about this?"

"No, no, no, only the ones ranked lieutenant and above…"

"Hn. Are the l'Cie tortured? Are they going to be executed soon?" Lightning asks again, her grip on her gunblade subconsciously getting tighter when she says the word 'executed'.

Sensing the cold edge of the blade cutting a bit deeper into his neck, the lieutenant gets even more panic. He spills whatever he knows, as fast as possible.

"No! Our High Commander Rosch has not said anything about it, as have the fal'Cie! I believe they only want the l'Cie imprisoned, not tortured nor killed, to lure out the remaining l'Cie out there! I heard they are not going to execute the l'Cie before the remaining ones appear, or until Commander Rosch issues a new order! That's all I know, I swear!"

The lieutenant lies there, panting. But as he looks up, he sees a twinkle of light entering the woman's eyes, but it disappears quickly. _Was it… relief? _

Lightning seems to be done. The lieutenant inhales sharply, tensing. _This is it… this woman is going to kill me. I just hope it'll be fast, _he thinks in despair, closing his eyes.

But then, to his surprise, the blade is lifted from his throat. He opens his eyes a crack, and is astonished upon seeing the woman standing up, holstering her gunblade. She is leaving.

The lieutenant can only stare in surprise. He has never guessed this woman would keep her words and spare him… Even as he stares, he sees her heading towards her two companions, ready to leave.

Without knowing what he is doing, the lieutenant struggles to stand up and calls out after her.

"You wouldn't stand a chance breaking through Zalera, l'Cie. That prison is the most secure in all Cocoon; not one person has been able to escape its thick walls and soldiers. All the more l'Cie." He pauses, but Lightning ignores him. Anger flares up in the lieutenant.

"You are tempting fate by trying to break through that prison, l'Cie!" he shouts.

Only then does Lightning turn her face a little over her shoulders, glaring sharply at the man. "I control my own fate, weakling," she states.

The lieutenant is stunned, unable to think anymore. He falls to his knees, still sweating after seeing those piercing blue eyes glaring so murderously at him. He knows the woman could have killed him so easily, that he is still alive right now merely because of her mercy. But then… what now? The lieutenant shivers. His duty and position tell him to report to his superiors about the l'Cie right now lest they attack civilians and soon, Zalera. But then again, he's been the one telling the l'Cie everything… if he reports, he'll be blamed. No, better not to say anything. Besides, he believes that even if those l'Cie reach Zalera, they would be defeated by the soldiers there after all. His warning wouldn't have mattered anyway, the result would still be the same. PSICOM soldiers at Zalera will kill those l'Cie, and his spill wouldn't be made known. The lieutenant stiffens his shoulders. Yes, that's it. He is not going to report the matter…

* * *

><p>As Lightning leads them sprinting away from the destroyed post into the wilderness of Sunleth Waterscape, Vanille keeps stealing glances at her. She has seen Lightning threatening that man into spilling his info, but Vanille has never imagined Lightning can be <em>that <em>scary. Sure, she herself has feared Lightning when they first met, but today it's just an entirely different thing.

The way Lightning glares at the man, the way she threatens him, the way she inflicts fear yet hope into the man's heart to make him talk… it is something Vanille has never imagined. She has thought Lightning might shout at the man, beat him up to pulp and basically just torture him until he spills his info, but no. She has opted for a calmer, yet way scarier approach. Even Vanille, who wasn't on the receiving edge of Lightning's blade, got overwhelmed with fear just by looking into her ice-cold eyes.

In those deep blue eyes, Vanille sees a rage so great she can almost see them flaring. Lightning is extremely furious, but somehow she still managed to restrain her anger…

Vanille shudders. Wherever this Zalera Prison is, she pities the soldiers. If Lightning's restrained anger is already like this, how much more fearsome it would be later when she unleashes it upon them. They'll stand no chance.

But at the same time, Vanille feels worried about Lightning. She understands her feelings, she knows how hard it is for Lightning, how furious she must be… Vanille understands this, and her heart throbs whenever she sees Lightning's furious eyes. Moreover, Lightning seems to have not forgiven herself completely after all. But then again, maybe that can only be achieved after they save Serah and the others.

Huffing, Vanille sprints beside Fang, who seems to have been enjoying herself judging from the wide satisfied smirk plastered to her face.

* * *

><p>"We'll stop here," Lightning finally announces, stopping in a clearing amidst the dense vegetation of Sunleth Waterscape. Fang stops beside her, slightly out of breath. Vanille, however, is practically panting and wheezing as she catches up with them, groaning as she lets herself fall to the ground. She is so tired… After all those fighting at the post, they have been running non-stop through the forest, except for a quick drink at a small river. And now it's already sunset.<p>

"Whew…" Vanille huffs, looking up at the red sky. From somewhere further in the forest, she can hear the constant splashing sound of a flowing river. She turns to look at her two friends, who have settled down as well and are preparing food. Vanille grins, scooting closer to help.

* * *

><p>When they have all eaten, Fang turns to face Lightning.<p>

"So," she begins, rising her eyebrows. "What did that coward tell you?"

Lightning huffs, and tells her two companions everything that the lieutenant has spilled.

After she is done, silence fills the campsite for a while. Then finally, Fang looks up again, a relieved smile on her lips.

"Whew, now that's really one good news. They are safe, yea? Imprisoned, sure, but safe. No one will issue any order of execution or torture, since Rosch is dead and Barthandelus is regenerating! Ha!" Fang smirks triumphantly.

Vanille nods. "Yeah, that's certainly good news… You shouldn't be so uptight, Light. Loosen up a little! They are safe," she says, turning to look at Lightning who is still frowning.

"I know," Lightning growls. "But I just can't let myself… loosen up, as long as they are still in prison."

Vanille clicks her tongue in annoyance. "Come on, Light, anxiety won't bring you anywhere! We are already doing our best, right? Being worried and tense won't change anything. Loosen up!"

Lightning merely answers with a growl, before falling silent again. Vanille huffs. She knows it would be hard to make Lightning loosen up, but at least she's tried. For Fang, though, she doesn't have to do anything. She's already loosened up from the beginning... And now that she knows the others are relatively safe, she'd be even more relaxed. That's Fang, all right.

Huffing, Vanille just moves away towards her sleeping spot. The day has been so tiring, especially after the run, and she wants to use all the time she can have resting. She still has to wake up later during her shift to keep guard, after all. They have agreed to take turns keeping guard, since there's always a possibility that some PSICOM soldier may wander around here and find them. Nodding sleepily at Fang and Lightning, Vanille goes off to her spot to sleep.

* * *

><p>Lightning stares silently at the stars above her. She has volunteered to take the first shift of guard, and she is now sitting against a tree bark, facing the darkness of the forest beyond. Behind her, she can hear the constant crackling of the small campfire they have lit up to help fight off the cold wind. Vanille and Fang are sprawled near it, sleeping.<p>

Lightning huffs. She has wanted to continue running the whole night. She just wants to continue, run to Palumpolum and then to Eden from there. That way, her exhaustion would at least keep her mind away from the lingering sadness, worry and anger… But still, her body needs rest. Her companions need rest too, especially Vanille. And Lightning knows that she can't just run off by herself and leave her friends behind despite they are somewhat slowing her down. No, she would never leave her two friends alone in the middle of Cocoon. Besides, there is no way she can survive breaking into Zalera just by herself.

Lightning takes a deep breath. Perhaps Vanille is right, after all. Getting all tense and worked up won't change anything… She might as well loosen up and take this journey at a less straining pace. That way, they will be able to reserve their strength for when they break into Zalera; rather than wasting all their energy running full tilt to the prison. Besides, the others are safe for now. So Lightning, Fang and Vanille can afford to slow down a little and reserve their energy. It is certainly a more strategic and reasonable strategy, despite Lightning doesn't like it much. The prolonged rests will only mean that her mind would continue torturing her even more.

Lightning groans softly. Absentmindedly, she takes out her Survival Knife from her pouch, flicking its blade out of its hilt. She stares blankly at the gleaming metal, at the spiked edge of the curved blade. She has never used the knife before…Blazefire Saber has always been able to serve whatever purpose she needs to achieve. But still, the knife reminds her clearly of Serah.

Lightning continues staring blankly at the knife through her half-closed eyes, flicking the blade in and out, its metallic click falling into a perpetual rhythm. Under the moonlight, the silver blade appears blue. _Just like Serah's eyes.._.

"You miss her, don't you?"

Lightning's eyes shoot open fully and she jumps up, her other hand reaching for her gunblade as she turns around upon hearing that sudden voice.

And there, standing behind her, is Fang.

Lightning huffs, letting go of her gunblade. She turns her back on Fang.

"What do you want, Fang… your shift isn't due yet, y'know," Lightning whispers.

Fang shrugs. "I can't sleep."

With that, Fang steps closer towards Lightning. Lightning can hear her footsteps growing nearer, but she ignores her. She is not in the mood to talk. She simply looks up again, staring back at the blinking stars.

"You miss her," Fang says again, more of a statement rather than a question.

Lightning growls. _Serah…_

Then Lightning feels Fang's fist pressed firmly against her back, right between her shoulder blades.

"Don't worry," says Fang in her deep voice. "We'll save them, yea? Both you and I are willing to tear the sky down to save our loved ones. _That _is reason enough to believe we can save them, no?"

Despite herself, Lightning smirks. Her body still doesn't budge an inch under Fang's fist, but she stops looking up at the stars and lets her gaze drop to the darkness in front of her.

"Right…"

Despite that simple answer, Fang is satisfied. She pulls her fist back. "Now that's the spirit," she smirks, before her hand reaches out again to ruffle Lightning's hair.

Lightning growls, turning around and bats Fang's hand away. Fang merely chuckles and shrugs, before giving Lightning's shoulder another reassuring press with her fist. With that, Fang strides away and returns to her sleeping place beside Vanille as though nothing has just happened.

Left alone once more to the peaceful solitude, Lightning huffs and slides down to sit on the ground, resting her elbow on her bent right leg. She gives the Survival Knife in her left hand another glance, before placing it back into her pouch. She cracks a small smirk. Fang's right.

_We will tear Zalera down. Just wait for a while longer, Serah… we will come for you, I promise._

* * *

><p>My eyes snap open, staring at the same floor of my cell. Moonlight is shining right onto it; it must still be around midnight.<p>

I blink a few times, shaking my head. Something made me wake up… I wince a little when my scraped wrists throb. But no, I'm sure they weren't the ones that woke me up.

Then suddenly I remember what it was. I have been dreaming… a dream about a memory so long ago, when Lightning hasn't yet become a sergeant and I have yet to graduate. As I recall that memory again, a smile spreads in my lips, something that hasn't happened since my imprisonment in this cell.

* * *

><p>That time I was still at school. Lightning had already graduated, and she had been working in the Guardian Corps for quite a while. She often got sent to do missions involving eradicating monsters that threatened towns, which weren't only confined to Bodhum area; sometimes she was also sent to run missions in other faraway towns like Palumpolum. I always did feel worried whenever Light went for a mission… Not only that, but I would also miss her at nights. Her missions sometimes took more than a week, and I'd miss her so bad I used to cry myself to sleep. Lightning knew this, but there was nothing else she could do. She had to work, to support both of us.<p>

Then one day, Light visited me at school during lunchtime. At our school, the students were allowed to leave the school premises during lunchtime to have our food at the nearby restaurants. It was in one of these restaurants that Lightning found me.

She approached my table and told me, dead straight, that she'd be going for yet another mission. She was supposed to leave immediately, but she had asked permission from her superior to come and tell me about it first instead of leaving straight away. She told me that the mission would be for a week, at the Vile Peaks. And even I knew how dangerous that place was! That place was even filled with numerous Pulsian robots! What were they thinking, sending Light there so soon after she had just completed her previous mission near Palumpolum?

Those were my first thoughts upon hearing the news. I didn't want her to go!

But then, I became aware of my friends sitting at that same table. They were staring intently at Lightning, curious for they had never seen my sister. And upon seeing them staring like that, I felt a bit ashamed of Lightning visiting me in front of them. She was a soldier; how often do soldiers visit their family member to announce that they are going for a mission anyway?

My cheeks blushed as I realized how sappy Lightning and I must be looking in front of my friends. I didn't want to be seen as a needy, sappy girl who can't even deal with the fact that her sis is in the army and has to go for missions occasionally! I didn't want anyone to know that I always cry at nights whenever Lightning was on a mission. I wanted them to see me as a strong person, one who is used to having her sister away for missions occasionally. And so, I answered Lightning curtly. She looked perplexed, but I just ignored her and acted as if I was just behaving normally. Lightning still looked puzzled, but she didn't ask anything. I was hoping that she wouldn't ask anything and would just leave soon, so my friends would stop staring.

But then, Lightning lingered for a while, seemingly reluctant to leave without getting a proper response from me. I got more and more agitated, aware of the stares beginning to be directed at me, and I finally snapped when she told me to take good care of myself while she is gone. I slapped her hand off my shoulder and said coldly, "Just go, Lightning."

Lightning stared at me for a while, but her expression remained empty. Without any other word, she turned her back on me and left. And I resumed my conversations with my friends once again as though nothing just happened.

The thing was, I knew Vile Peaks were dangerous. The mission would be the most dangerous taken by Lightning that time, but I had been so used to her always returning on time from her missions. Thus, I believed that the Vile Peaks mission would only be another mission Lightning would tackle in one week's time. I didn't regret telling her off rudely in front of my friends like that.

But Lightning never returned within a week.

A few days after the day when Lightning supposedly return from her mission, I got a call from the Guardian Corps. They told me that Lightning and her unit had gone MIA during her mission at the Vile Peaks.

That was when I regretted everything. I regretted answering Lightning so curtly that day, I regretted taking her safety for granted; but most of all, I was so afraid that Lightning might have really died and the last thing I'd said to my sister was "Just go."

I drowned in a sea of worry, fear and regret for the next few days. I kept coming to school, but I no longer care whether my friends realized my distress or not. I'm sure they did. That time my face was a permanent mask of worry and fear. But still, none of my 'friends' comforted me. They were too busy with themselves, and that was when I realized that Lightning was the only one who had been truly caring about me, despite how ungrateful I've been.

But now she's gone.

I kept crying on those days, praying, begging Lightning to return. But still, there wasn't a single news about her. She vanished, without a trace. I called the GC every day, asking for news, and they would apologize; but no, there wasn't any news about Lightning and her unit. Her mission was to eradicate a group of loose, malfunctioning Pantherons at the Vile Peaks, but then… who knows what might have happened to her? She is gone.

Those were the darkest days of my life. It felt like my heart had a hole in it, a hole that could only be filled if I see Lightning again. But then, I didn't even know whether Lightning was alive or not. I really hoped she survived, that somehow she would return; but she didn't. Days seemed to pass painfully slowly; every second reminded me that Lightning wasn't with me anymore. She might be lying dead somewhere. And I would never see her again. I would never be able to apologize to her for saying that cruel thing just because of my pride, when all she wanted to do was just to say a proper goodbye.

I cried and cried, but it changed nothing. Lightning's gone. A piece of my heart was gone.

* * *

><p>Then finally, one day the Guardian Corps called me. They said that Lightning had returned to the Bodhum GC HQ! The relief and joy I've felt that time were so great I almost fainted on the spot. But I collected myself, squealed into the phone that I would come ASAP and ran all the way to the HQ. I couldn't believe this. Could Lightning really have returned? I still felt worried though. <em>What if this is just a hallucination?<em>

But when I finally arrived at the HQ, stepped into the Infirmary and saw her sitting up on one of the beds, all my worry was immediately cast away without a trace. It was as if these past hellish two weeks had never happened. I immediately cried on the spot, ran and crashed into Lightning's arms. I noticed her bandaged body, I noticed the smell of blood in the air, but _she was really there. _Alive. I kept crying into her shoulders, hugging her tightly, taking in her familiar scent. Lightning hugged me back, awkwardly whispering soothing words. And at that moment, my heart healed immediately. My sister was safe. Everything was gonna be okay. All those miserable days suddenly felt far away, almost unreal, when I feel Lightning's strong arms around me.

After that, what happened was a blur. I only remembered fussing around Lightning's wounds, trying to figure out the extent of her injuries. When the doctor came in, I forced Lightning to drink her medicine despite her protests. I almost stuffed it down her throat, actually. But I just wanted to make sure she'd be okay!

Soon after that, probably because of the medicine, Lightning fell asleep. That was when Lieutenant Amodar walked in, smiling as he saw me clinging to Lightning's hand. He told me that Lightning's unit was ambushed by some Pulsian monsters called Dreadnoughts, and Lightning was lucky to be able to escape with everyone in her unit despite she suffered injuries. After that, she and her unit had been lost for a while at the Vile Peaks, unable to ask for help since their communication device was broken. But Lightning had indeed done a formidable act in protecting her unit, to the point that she got some of her wounds protecting them.

My expression turned to horror when I heard his story, of course, but then he laughed and told me not to worry. Lightning was perfectly alive and kicking, judging from how furious she was when she reached the GC HQ. Her injuries didn't seem to bother her, she marched right past the infirmary and tried to get into Amodar's office. He said she wanted to call me, she wanted to let me know that she was alive. But of course, Amodar didn't let her have her way. He dragged her into the infirmary, with the help of another soldier considering Lightning's brutal protests, and had her wounds treated while he arrange for someone to call me. And so the problem was solved.

When she woke up, Lightning insisted to go back home with me. Amodar tried to persuade her to just stay at the infirmary considering her injuries, but she refused firmly. She said she wanted to go home, for me. And, being young and selfish, I didn't protest. I let her go home with me. I had been missing her, worrying about her so much, that I was really happy when she decided to go home with me. And she recuperated at home, while I used my basic medical skills to take care of her.

I kept apologizing to Light, of course, but she said it was okay. She understood why I had made those curt answers, and held no grudge. Selfless as always…

But at the same time, I knew something else. I forced her to tell me what exactly happened in her mission, and despite reluctantly, she told me. I found out that even though she was hurt, never once did Lightning stop running in her search for a way home to Bodhum. She knew I must be dead worried about her, and so she pushed herself despite her wounds to continue moving.

I scolded her of course, for being so foolhardy and pushing herself to that extent. But at the same time, I was happy and relieved. Lightning really is the best sister one can ever have…

And from that incident, I learned that I can always trust Lightning, even in the grimmest of situations.

* * *

><p>I smile to myself in the darkness of the cell. I don't know how I can suddenly dream about that memory, but it manages to leave me in a hopeful state again. The happiness I've felt in the dream when Lightning returned is still lingering in my mind, making me unable to stop smiling. Come to think about it, my situation now is so much like back then… Lightning is missing, I don't know whether she is alive or not, and I can do nothing but to wait for her to come back. But knowing her, if she really is still alive, then she must be doing her best right now to save me.<p>

I laugh softly. Sometimes it can just be so hard to have a foolhardy sister like Light… I really want to see her, there is no denying it; but I don't want her to strain her limits to a breakpoint just to be able to save me ASAP like what she's done back then at the Vile Peaks. Besides, it's not like I'm going to die soon. I may be imprisoned, but it doesn't look like I'm going to be executed... In fact, I will prefer having to wait longer than having Lightning pressing herself just to be able to save me as fast as possible...

_It's not necessary, Light, _I think quietly as I look outside at the blinking stars. _No need to run all your way here. I'm fine; I'm not gonna be executed soon. Relax, sis, don't push yourself so hard… I don't want you to run yourself to a dying state just for me. Loosen up!_

I know there is no way Lightning can hear my thoughts, but still… The dream, together with that thought, have calmed my mind and filled me with hope. I smile. I'm sure one day Lightning will come. She may take a long time; but I would wait for her, no matter how long it will take.

_Light will come. _

And with that thought, I smile and close my eyes again, falling into my first peaceful slumber in that cell.

_I just hope I can dream about this kind of memories more often…_

* * *

><p><em>AN: I get the name of the prison Zalera from an Esper in Final Fantasy XII, Zalera the Death Seraph. _


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N**_: OMG I'm sorry for not updating for so long, but I just have to include so many things in this chap. And uh, I just realized how long this one really is. 20,000 words, whew xD I'm serious, you can take your time reading, my lords and ladies, cos I think this chapter could've been two separate chapters on its own O.o Plus, I'm quite sure the next chap will take quite a while to be done cos of all the school stuff I have to deal with OTL  
><em>

_But anyway, this chap will mostly contain LightningxVanille and LightningxFang bonding, with some flashbacks at the end. The LightningxVanille part will be something like the one in chapter 20 and 21... If you don't like it, then feel free to skip all the way down cos I'll be leaving a summary of this chapter at the end after all, for those who don't like LightxVanille ^^"  
><em>

_But anyway, I've gotta say many thanks to Decertos, for boosting my ego and giving me courage to admit that I do think LightningxVanille is cute :3 I can finally come up with the ideas for this chap *fist pump* this chap's for ya, pal xD _

* * *

><p>Its' been a few days since Lightning, Fang and Vanille wreaked havoc at the Sunleth Waterscape Post. They have spent the days running through Sunleth Waterscape since, following Lightning's directions. Even though Fang and Vanille have been in Cocoon before, but they are still unfamiliar with the directions. Unlike Lightning, who spends countless hours on missions around Cocoon.<p>

"Where to, now?" Fang yawns, stretching. The group has just finished eating breakfast, and they are now sitting on the ground, preparing to continue with the journey.

Fang and Vanille look at Lightning expectantly. Last night, Lightning had told them that they'd have to discuss about the next path before continuing further. However, she hadn't explained fully.

"From here, the route will be through the Vile Peaks and Gapra Whitewood, to Palumpolum," Lightning answers.

"Okay. So, from Palumpolum we'll find transport to Eden, then?" Vanille asks, hugging her knees as she listens intently to Lightning.

"Yeah… but there is one problem, though."

Fang groans. "Y'know, whenever Light says there is a problem, that problem tends to be a big one."

"Not really. It's just… an irritating problem, one that doesn't really stop us but still hinders us," Lightning shrugs. "Vanille, you should remember, the last time we were at the Vile Peaks we entered by— accidentally—crashing our airship to the ground."

Vanille nods. She remembers, of course. How can she forget the crazy plunge to the ground that time?

"Uh-huh. So?"

"So, we can't possibly go into the Vile Peaks with that method again. We'll have to go by land... The thing is, Vile Peaks are completely off-limits to the public since it contains so many scraps from Pulse. PSICOM sealed the entire area within three electric gates, each one stretching across more than a hundred miles."

Fang groans. "Are you implying that I'd have to play Sentinel to all those gates while you two saunter in?"

"No!" Lightning snaps, annoyed. "Those gates' voltage is so great you'll die immediately if you touch them. No matter whether you use your Sentinel abilities or not."

Fang raises her hands in surrender. "Chill. I'm just joking, yea? What do you suggest we do then, to pass through those gates? Take a winding route around the entire Vile Peaks?"

"No. That will waste too much time," Lightning answers. "Y'see, I've had missions at the Vile Peaks before. Every time, my superior would give me a special chip bearing the GC emblem; and when activated, that chip can surround my entire unit with some kind of protective shell against the electricity. Then we could just saunter in."

"Oooh, so do you have that chip with you right now?" Fang asks, smirking expectantly as she leans forward towards Lightning.

Lightning scoffs. "If I have it, Fang, I wouldn't bother explaining all this to you. I would've herded you two straight into the Vile Peaks without having to explain anything about those damn gates."

"Of course," Fang sighs. "Light's talk-as-little-as-possible policy. I forgot, sorry," she adds mockingly.

Vanille slaps her arm lightly. "Stop kidding around, Fang, and let Light finish what she wanted to say. We still don't know how we are going to pass through those gates safely!"

"Thank you," Lightning hisses sarcastically. "Well, y'see, there are some devices bearing GC emblem that have the ability to protect their bearers from those gates, like my grav-con units. The thing is, they can't protect as many people as the official chip; in fact one grav-con unit can only protect maximum two people per gate. It's PSICOM's tactic, to prevent too many GC soldiers wandering into the Vile Peaks… but never mind that; the point is, now I still have three units. I don't think it'll be wise to use them all on the gates, though."

Fang purses her lips, pondering. "So, you're saying that we can only use two grav-con units while there are three of us… and to make matters more complicated, each grav-con unit can only be used in one gate, am I right?"

Lightning nods grimly.

"And since each of those damn gates stretch for a hundred miles, then we'll have to split up from here," Fang concludes, huffing as she leans back on her palms.

"Right. Two people will have one grav-con unit to go through the north gate. The other person will have the other unit to go through the west gate," Lightning says, taking out two grav-con units from her pouch. "And since the road to Vile Peaks is quite long, we can only hope to reunite there a few days later, mind you."

"So how will we divide the team?" Vanille asks. She doesn't really like the idea of splitting up, but there seems to be no other way…

"You two decide. I'm fine with anything," Lightning says, before shifting her gaze to the sky.

Fang thinks for a while. Her first thought is that she wants to go with Vanille, so she can protect her from any harm. But after she thinks about it again, she recalls that there is hardly any dangerous creature in Sunleth Waterscape. Plus, judging from the fact that they have not been hunted for the past few days, that would mean that PSICOM hasn't known anything about them. None of those scums should be hunting for them right here, right now… Smirking, Fang bends towards Vanille and whispers into her ear.

"You should go with Light. Try to cheer her up on the way, okay? She's been grumpier lately. Besides, I'm sure there'll be no danger around, so I don't have to worry bout you, kiddo."

_And Light is capable enough of taking care of Vanille, _Fang thinks.

Vanille giggles. So Fang has noticed Lightning's somber mood, too… she gives a quick nod of her head. Satisfied, Fang leans back on her palms and says to Lightning, "Alright, all set. I'll go alone, you go with Vanille."

Lightning's gaze falls back onto Fang. "Okay then, but you better don't get yourself into trouble, Fang." Lightning glares.

Fang laughs. "No worries there. Just like at the Sunleth Waterscape Post, I'll behave, yea?"

"Whatever." Lightning sighs, then she begins explaining the directions to Fang before passing her one grav-con unit. "When you are about to pass the gate, activate the unit. It'll surround you and protect you from the electricity."

"Got it," Fang smirks. "Do I have to run all the way there?"

Lightning shakes her head. "Nope, save your energy. Moderate brisk walk will be fine; no need to run."

Fang grins in satisfaction, while Vanille huffs with relief.

"And one more thing…" Lightning starts again, drawing the two Oerbans' attention back to her.

"Remember those communication devices we used in Palumpolum? Do you still have them?" she asks Fang.

Fang grins. "Yea, sure. What, are we gonna use them?"

"Only if something really urgent happens," Lightning answers. "The probability is small, but there is always a risk that the devices might be bugged. So don't use it unless it's really necessary."

Fang laughs, taking out the two devices from her pouch and passes one to Lightning. "Okay then, I'll only call during emergencies. Ha, too bad, I was hoping to spam-call you in the middle of the night."

Lightning chooses to ignore that last part. "Shall we go now?" she asks, rising to her feet.

"'Kay. I can bring Fafnir if you want, Light," Fang offers, rising as well, pulling Vanille up with her.

Lightning nods, wordlessly passing Fafnir to Fang. She straps it to her back, under her lance.

"All right, so, we'll meet again a few days later at the Vile Peaks," Lightning says.

"See ya there," Fang smirks. "Take good care of Vanille... or the other way around!" With that, she dashes off westward.

"Be careful!" Vanille shouts after her, and they could hear Fang's usual mocking laughter before she disappears among the trees.

Vanille then turns to Lightning. "Well then, shall we?"

Lightning nods silently, and leads the way towards the Vile Peaks. Vanille bounces after her, grinning as she thinks of ways to cheer Lightning up.

* * *

><p>"Aaaah! The air is so fresh!"<p>

"…..."

"I love these sun-dappled paths!"

"..…."

"Look, a stream!"

"…..."

"Look at those pretty waterfalls!"

Lightning takes a deep breath, trying to keep her face stoic as those high-pitched, girly squeals continue to ring out. She and Vanille have been walking for half a day now, and never once did the redhead stop commenting on every trivial object they happen to pass by. Once, she even tried to draw Lightning's attention to a bunch of strange-colored leaves. Actually Lightning couldn't care less even if the whole forest burns to ashes, but she cannot bring herself to tell that to Vanille. Not when the girl seems to be so genuinely happy and enjoying herself. And so Lightning just resorts to remaining silent in front of Vanille's constant chirping, despite her mind longs for solitude. She keeps walking with that purposeful stride of hers, while Vanille is basically bouncing around like a puppy.

However, Vanille's cheerfulness is starting to make her feel uneasy. Lightning has nothing much to say and she always prefers solitude, but at the same time she is also worried that her silence may upset the redhead. But still, it's not like Lightning knows how to react to Vanille's cheerfulness. Besides, Vanille seems happy enough with squealing without even getting any response… So Lightning just decides to keep quiet and endures the 'torture' of listening to Vanille's continuous squeals about the most insignificant objects, most of which annoy her.

"Y'know, Light…" suddenly Vanille says, turning to face Lightning even as she bounces around. She looks at Lightning expectantly with her bright green eyes, smiling widely in enthusiasm. "…I've never really toured Cocoon's cities before! Once all this mess and fighting are over, maybe we can go shopping at the mall together?"

Lightning almost trips the moment she hears that question. She closes her eyes for a few seconds, trying to regain her composure.

_Shopping. At. The. Mall. Dammit Etro, haven't I suffered enough? _

Lightning's mind immediately goes into SOS mode, screaming at her to flee as it conjures up horrifying images of her having to spend long, torturous hours at the crowded, noisy mall waiting for Vanille and Serah to finish their never-ending browsing for clothes and Etro-knows-what. Seriously, she would rather fight a pack of Behemoths solo than having to endure _that._

Lightning is about to follow what her mind screams at her to do and reject Vanille's idea dead-on when she catches sight of those gleaming, emerald puppy-like eyes looking at her hopefully.

_Damn._

Instead of saying a straight 'no', what comes out from Lightning's mouth is somehow a 'may be,' which immediately makes her feel like biting her own tongue.

But even that simple, uncertain answer is enough to elate Vanille.

"Yaaay! Thank you, Light! I'll look forward to it!" Vanille squeals in delight, jumping on her heels happily. "Let's not waste time, then! Aaaaah! I'm so happy I can run all the way to the Vile Peaks now!" Vanille chirps again, before jumping forward and continues running with her arms and hips swinging.

Lightning huffs, following Vanille slightly slower than before. _Great. Now what have I gotten myself into? _

Feeling somewhat crankier, Lightning increases her walking pace to catch up with Vanille.

* * *

><p>The next half on hour basically revolves around Lightning trying to restrain Vanille from bouncing away, what with the redhead being so delighted over the increased amount of flowers along the road and her elation upon the prospect of going to the mall.<p>

"Stay where you are."

"But those flowers are so pretty, Light! I want to see them!" Vanille whines longingly.

"You can see them well enough from here."

"But I want to get a closer look! C'mon, Light, pleeease? That chasm isn't too wide, I can jump over it easily!"

"What do you need a closer look for? Those flowers are just regular flowers. They look pretty only because they lay out of your reach on the other side of that chasm."

Vanille gasps. "Hey, that's cold! How can you be so heartless?"

"Because I'm fully aware of our mission, Vanille, and I don't want to waste time on something so insignificant as _flowers_!"

Vanille purses her lips. "Y'know, you should learn to appreciate the beauty around you, Light."

Lightning ignores that suggestion and continues striding away. "Whatever. Just know that if you dare jumping over just to see those damn flowers, I'll sprint and leave you there."

"That's unfair and draconian!" Vanille protests, hurrying to keep up with Lightning's pace.

"Life _is_ unfair. Face it," Lightning answers curtly, her gaze never losing focus at the front area.

Vanille pouts, but falls silent and continues walking.

_Finally, _Lightning thinks. _Some peace and quiet._

The 'peace and quiet' doesn't last for more than fifty seconds, though.

"Oooooh, look! The grass looks so soft and thick! I'm gonna walk on them!" Vanille suddenly squeals happily when she sees the subsequent path ahead is lined with thick, light green grass on its sides. She begins to run ahead.

"Stay on the path."

Vanille winces as she hears that… order, since no other word can be used to describe it; cutting sharply through the air. She turns around to look at Lightning, who is still walking with that steady, uniform stride of hers. Her eyes are glaring at Vanille coldly.

Vanille pouts when she sees that glare. However, she is too scared to defy the 'order,' so she just cancels her plan of running and walking on the grass, and just stay on the path.

Lightning, meanwhile, is trying to suppress a sigh.

_Grass. Being from Pulse, shouldn't she have enough of them? What's so appealing about grass anyway? _the soldier thinks in mild confusion mixed with annoyance. _But at least she stays put and quiet now._

Another fifty seconds of peace and quiet.

Then,

"Oooooh! It's so pretttyyyyy!"

Lightning clenches her fists and grits her teeth, trying to suppress a growl. _What now?_

Rocks. Now it's rocks. Giant rocks of different colors that are sprawled along the path, glimmering when the sunlight hits them. Vanille's face is practically glowing as she marvels at the beauty of those rocks. To Lightning, however, those rocks look nothing more than excellent projectiles to hurl at a King Behemoth should one appear here right now.

And now Vanille has begun running towards them.

"Vanille." Lightning utters her name through gritted teeth. It sounds calm enough, but beneath the surface, Lightning is actually more than ready to shout.

Vanille stops immediately, feeling as if a bucket of cold ice has hit her ears. She turns around to look at Lightning, pouting slightly.

"No?" she asks.

"No."

"Okay…"

_Good. At least she still obeys, _Lightning thinks.

However, as minutes pass, Lightning realizes that keeping Vanille in check gets harder and harder. Her pleading to bounce away and practically get a closer look at everything is getting more and more perpetual.

_Etro, does she have endless enthusiasm or something? _Lightning thinks as she glares at Vanille upon her request to look into a small pool a few distance away from the side of the main path.

"Stay."

"But…!"

"No buts."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"You meanie!"

"Whatever."

"Come oooon!"

"Don't 'come on' me."

"Heartless!"

"….."

"Grumpy!"

"…."

"Emo!"

Lightning sighs exasperatedly. She stops, glaring at the redhead beside her.

"Look, I get that a lot. And I don't care even one bit, so just save your breath and keep quiet," Lightning says sternly, with her glare as scary as ever that Vanille doesn't dare to protest.

Finally, a few minutes of quiet.

But then, Lightning and Vanille walk into a clearing in the forest. It is surrounded by flowers, the sun shines fully upon it and there is even a big glimmering river flowing at the side. That's done it. Vanille practically goes hyper.

"Ooooh!" With a happy squeal, the little girl lunges forward into the clearing while Lightning is still occupied with assessing the perimeter, ensuring there is no ambushes. By that time, Vanille already runs into the clearing with her arms swinging back and fro in delight, a wide smile spreading on her face.

"Hey, stay close!" Lightning warns, her scowl deepens. She follows Vanille into the clearing as well, but of course without the squealing and swinging arms.

"I want to look around!" Vanille answers, turning her head to look at Lightning, giggling when she sees the utterly annoyed look in the soldier's face. "C'mon, Light, loosen up! Enjoy the beauty!"

Lightning lets out a sigh, placing her hands on her hips and just frowns at the sky while she waits for Vanille to finish whatever business she has in the area. Two minutes, that's all Lightning is going to give the redhead. After that, she'll drag her away no matter what high-pitched squeals and protests she'll let out. Lightning begins to follow the redhead reluctantly towards the far side of the clearing.

"Light! Light! Look at those flowers!"

Another squeal. Vanille is waving her hands vigorously at Lightning, pointing eagerly at a patch of orange-and-pink flowers that grows a few distance away, separated from the redhead only by a few meters of thick grass.

"I'll get a closer look!" Vanille says, running straight towards the flowers.

_One more minute, _Lightning counts in her mind as she stops right before the patch of grass. _Etro, why is time passing so slowly?_

Vanille, meanwhile, is jumping with delight over the last meter of grass separating her and the flowers.

However, the moment her feet meet the ground, the girl yelps.

"Eew! It's muddy here!" Vanille hops, trying to avoid the mud that has splattered when she landed. However, the more she hops, the more the mud splatters and clings to her shoes.

"Eeep! Ooof! Yuck !" Vanille squeals, bouncing on her feet as she makes her way back to Lightning, panic in her eyes as she sees all the mud clinging to her shoes every time her feet make contact with the ground. However, she has no choice but to keep hopping, trying to make as little contact with the mud as possible.

Finally, there is only one short distance separating Vanille from the clean grass ahead and Lightning. The redhead lunges forward to the patch of green grass, feeling safe and triumphant to be able to escape the mud.

Unfortunately for Vanille, the grass is wet with dews.

"Aaaah!"

Needless to say, the momentum from Vanille's own lunge causes her to slip on the wet grass, and she falls successfully on her butt, right in front of Lightning.

"Ow!" Vanille squeals, rubbing her sore hips. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" _Makers, that really hurt!_

But right then, Vanille hears a sound she has never thought she would hear. She looks up immediately in utter disbelief, eyes wide and mouth agape, at the soldier looming above her.

"Light, you just… you just _laughed_!" Vanille stammers, almost unable to speak in her surprise.

Lightning quickly erases the smirk from her face. "No, I didn't," she crosses her arms, her face already back to the usual stoic expression. However, her eyes are twinkling with amusement.

"You're so mean! I heard it! You laughed, didn't you? You laughed when I fell!" Vanille says as she struggles to stand up.

Lightning finally gives in, letting out a chuckle. "Seriously, Vanille. Who wouldn't laugh? You should've seen yourself. Hopping around like a lame dancer, screaming with no apparent reason, made an epic and supposedly-triumphant leap but ended up falling on your behind…" Lightning shakes her head, another smirk appearing in her face. "Totally ridiculous, kiddo."

Vanille pouts. But actually, she is happy. She still can't believe that she just heard Lightning laugh. She has indeed wanted to hear it for so long, but she's never met even the slightest chance of it actually happening. Vanille was too busy rubbing her hips to see the actual smile on Lightning's face when she laughed, but the sound itself is already more than enough for her. And Vanille likes the sound of Lightning's laughter. It sounds so… free, something that the stiff soldier really needs, Vanille thinks. If only the ever-so-serious Light would laugh more often…

Vanille smiles to herself. Looks like she's scored one point in her struggle to cheer Lightning up. _I wonder, though… does Serah get to hear Lightning's laughter often? _Unlikely. It is Lightning's core personality to be serious, so most probably even Serah doesn't get to see her laughing often. But the little pinknette surely has seen those rare occasions a few times more often than the rest of the group, though.

Lightning, meanwhile, also can't believe what just happened. Their whole situation should be serious, they have to save the others, but somehow Vanille can always make Lightning forget her worries for a while. Perhaps it has something to do with her carefree innocence… or her cheerfulness… or maybe it's just her sometimes-annoying attitude.

Then, Lightning remembers something that Vanille has said before.

"_Always good to be among friends! The fun times are doubled, and your worries feel far away…"_

Lightning sighs. Well, she hasn't laughed for a long time. Usually Serah is the only cause for her to do so, but somehow Vanille has managed to gain that ability as well.

_Friends, huh… _

But really, who wouldn't laugh upon seeing Vanille's ridiculous struggle to escape from mere mud?

"By the way, your shoes are all dirty now," Lightning says as soon as her gaze falls on the Vanille's feet.

"Eeep!" the redhead jumps, checking her shoes. She quickly sprints towards the river. "One moment, I'll wash them up!"

"Wait, Vanille, don't! That river is deep!" Lightning shouts with alarm.

Too late. With her muddy shoes and running momentum, Vanille loses her balance again.

"Ah!"

With a yelp, the redhead plunges straight into the river, creating a big splash as her body breaks the water surface and sinks into the deep water. Which must be freezing cold, considering the season.

"VANILLE!" Lightning shouts, dashing towards the river where the redhead has sunk.

_The hell… it was mud and now this? How can this girl keep finding trouble in whatever she is doing?_

Lightning is about to dive into the cold river herself, but right then, Vanille's head breaks through the surface a few feet away. Lightning pauses for a second, somewhat stunned. She hasn't expected Vanille to have enough strength to swim up in this freezing, paralyzing waters... But still, it's a welcome thing. Lightning immediately changes her course and sprints to approach the struggling redhead.

Lightning reaches Vanille right when the girl pulls herself onto the bank. She stays there on all fours, shivering uncontrollably, whimpering. Droplets of water cascade down her body, absorbing what little body heat the girl has left.

Lightning skids to a halt beside Vanille, kneeling down and places her hand on the girl's shoulder. And she pulls it back almost immediately. Vanille's skin is practically freezing cold, her face and fingertips starting to turn bluish.

"L-L-L-Lightning…" Vanille mutters through her chattering teeth, struggling to look up at the soldier beside her.

Lightning scrutinizes the redhead. At least she doesn't seem to be injured during her plunge… However, it doesn't need much observation to tell that the girl will reach hypothermia soon if Lightning doesn't do something.

Immediately, Lightning takes off her red cape and drapes it over Vanille's shoulders.

"L-L-Light?" Vanille looks up, surprised.

"I told you to save your breath. Now do it, or you'll just be wasting your own body temperature," Lightning warns, using the cape to wipe off the water droplets clinging to Vanille's skin before looping it like a scarf around the redhead's thin neck.

But despite her effort, it seems to have little effect on the girl. Vanille still shivers uncontrollably, her teeth chattering. Lightning frowns, alarm rising in her as she notices Vanille's breaths have turned into ragged, laborious wheezing.

Without wasting any more time, Lightning pulls Vanille closer and grabs her trembling body into her arms, cradling her, trying to transfer some of her body heat to the redhead. Lightning winces slightly when the cold skin makes contact with her arms and torso. However, the effect is positive. Immediately Vanille's shivering lessens, despite the girl seems to still be in a state of shock. She looks up to Lightning, struggling to whisper "t-t-thank you…"

Lightning rolls her eyes. "Thank me by not getting yourself into mischief and trouble over and over again, little rascal."

"S-s-s-sorry…" Vanille answers, smiling guiltily despite her shivers.

"Save it. Now, can you walk?" Lightning asks, frowning at the trembling girl in her arms. Vanille mutters something, twitching her legs. But she comes nowhere near standing, so Lightning concludes that there is no way the redhead can stand with her shivering legs anyway. She sighs. "It's okay, I can carry you."

_What…_

Before Vanille can react, Lightning has adjusted her arms' positions and lifts the redhead up easily even as she rises to her own feet.

"W-w-wait… Light, don't bother… I can w-w-walk by myself! It's my fault I fell to that r-r-river anyway…"

"Nonsense. You can barely stand, little liar. And it was partially my fault too… I didn't react fast enough to stop you from running to that river. Besides, I don't want to waste any more time waiting for you to stagger around, so you just keep quiet and don't complain. "

Vanille is still stunned for a few more seconds, but she knows she won't win this argument with Lightning, not when she is struggling to even talk comprehensively. So she just nods, saying "Okay, then… t-t-thanks…?"

Lightning simply rolls her eyes, which Vanille interprets as 'no problem.' The redhead smiles silently.

But a second later, Vanille's shivers return with a vengeance. Without thinking, the little girl wraps her arms around Lightning's neck, drawing a slight wince from the soldier at the cold contact. Luckily for Lightning, Vanille doesn't seem to notice it. The redhead sighs in relief as she feels more warmth seeping into her arms. She lets out a small whimper like a wounded puppy before snuggling her head closer to Lightning's neck. Under normal circumstances, Lightning would've shaken Vanille's head off her shoulder; but in this situation, she just rises her eyebrow. However, when Vanille lets out a satisfied sigh next and wraps her arms even tighter around Lightning's neck, it causes the soldier to begin feeling uneasy and somewhat embarrassed. _This girl is getting a little too comfortable, _Lightning thinks. Still, it's not like she can do anything. Vanille isn't even fully conscious, she is just moving on instinct and trying to get as much warmth as possible. Lightning can't blame her for that… the river must have been freezing cold.

And so, Lightning just huffs and continues walking. Soon, Vanille's eyes begin to droop as she feels the gentle rising and falling of Lightning's breathing and the slight sway as she strides forward. Vanille closes her eyes, laying her head on Lightning's shoulder. She still feels somewhat guilty for troubling Light, but she has to admit that she is indeed feeling much better now, thanks to the soldier. And somehow, despite the stabbing coldness in her body, Vanille feels safe. With Lightning's strong arms supporting her protectively, Vanille is sure that everything is gonna be alright. She smiles slightly.

_So warm…_

Soon, Vanille falls asleep on Lightning's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Fang has been having a leisurely time. Her journey, unlike Lightning's, is quite uneventful save for an incident involving a few overzealous Flans getting whacked up high into the air. While it was certainly not a pleasant experience for the Flans, but it was an enjoyable side-mission for the Pulsian huntress.<p>

Fang continues swaggering down the forest path, whistling an old Oerban chant absent-mindedly. She has to admit, Sunleth Waterscape is a nice place. It is the most similar area to Pulse in this mostly-mechanized Cocoon. The birds' chirps are also an interesting change from Behemoths' roars and Wyverns' shrieks. And now that the sun is setting, the trees are being illuminated by soft orange glow.

Fang smirks slightly as she imagines just how happy Vanille must be in this place. She can almost see the redhead bouncing around, flailing her arms happily as she runs ahead to see things. Fang would always let Vanille sate her curiosity, of course; she'd surely wait even for hours if that's what Vanille wants. But Lightning will surely not tolerate such… 'nonsense,' to use the soldier's choice of word.

Fang's smirk grows wider. That's exactly why she asked Vanille to go with Light: so that maybe her childlike happiness can cheer the somber Lightning up and bring some… uh, light into her always-so-stoic face. But considering Lightning's seriousness, her no-nonsense attitude plus her deficient social skills, Fang can tell that Vanille's mission will indeed be a tough one. Some interesting things will surely happen, Fang thinks. She really wants to know what's going on, but she doesn't dare to call them using the communicator, not after Lightning has specifically warned her not to call unless in emergencies.

_Oh, well… _Fang sighs, stopping for a second to stretch her arms above her head.

Just then, suddenly something in Fang's pocket vibrates.

Fang's arms drop back to her sides, ready to grab her lance when she realizes what has caused the vibration.

The communicator. Lightning. Or Vanille. Are they facing trouble? What the hell's happening to them?

Fang growls, quickly grabbing the communicator and answers it. Her legs tense, ready to jump into a sprint should Lightning or Vanille needs her aid. She doesn't care how far they may be, but Oerba Yun Fang won't just wait here doing nothing! Nope, she'll sprint all the way across Sunleth Waterscape if Lightning and Vanille need her.

"Light? Vanille?" Fang speaks into her communicator.

"FANG!"

The replying voice was so filled with panic that Fang is left speechless for a few seconds, unable to believe that it is Lightning's voice. Lightning? Panic? The stoic, fearless soldier feeling panic? Just what kind of danger are they facing right now to make _Lightning _panic?

"Light? Light! What's wrong? What's happening?" Fang shouts back into the communicator, frowning in worry.

"It's Vanille!" Lightning replies, her voice still emanating great panic.

"Vanille? Is she hurt? Dammit, Light, calm down and tell me what happened!" Fang shouts back, feeling her own worry increasing.

"Vanille slipped and fell into the river! It was freezing, and she was practically shivering to the bone, so I had to carry her to continue the journey!" Lightning hisses into the communicator.

"Huh?" Fang frowns. So what if that's the case? That's hardly an emergency worthy to use the communicator for. Besides, it seems like Light has gotten everything under control. If she carries Vanille, that would mean the redhead can absorb some of Lightning's body temperature and won't freeze to death. So…?

"Hey, Light, I don't get it. Sounds like you've got everything under control to me."

"Nothing's under control!" Lightning yells back.

"Explain, please."

"She's fallen asleep and she is CLINGING to me! I can't free myself! How to untangle her arms without waking her up?" Lightning answers, her voice hinting a faint hysteria.

A few seconds of silence while Fang tries to digest the information.

Then, the huntress bursts into laughter, laughing so hard that a few birds on nearby trees fly away in alarm. Fang continues laughing, even to the point that her tears appear and she has to bend into two to reduce the pain in her stomach caused by laughing too hard.

_Makers, this is epic! You're not bad, 'Nille!_ Fang thinks as her laughter continues. She can imagine it clearly now, Vanille falling asleep in Lightning's arms while clinging to the soldier's neck. She's always been a clingy sleeper, after all.

"Fang? FANG!"

After a while, Fang finally notices Lightning's voice from the communicator. She wipes the tears from her eyes, still chortling occasionally, and answers Lightning.

"Sorry, sorry… what was that you asked again?"

Fang can almost hear Lightning gritting her teeth. "Weren't you listening?" she hisses. "I was asking you, what am I supposed to do? How can I untangle Vanille's arms without waking her up?"

Fang smirks, rising her eyebrow. "Well, even I can't overcome her death grip. I think you should just spend the whole night like that, Light," she suggests, a little too cheerful considering Lightning's distress.

"What…"

Fang grins again. She can imagine clearly Lightning's face going all red now. Ha! Light always looks so cold and heartless, but she is actually just a big softie inside. She gets embarrassed by affection quite easily, too. Sadly for her, Vanille is a girl who always shows her affection for people she cares about openly, which is why Fang always gets amused upon seeing Lightning's reaction to Vanille's attitude.

Lightning's odd. She doesn't give the slightest damn to most people, she can glare at them until they freeze in fear or run away. Her demeanor intimidates most people, what with her serious expression and sharp eyes. Moreover, she prefers solitude and somewhat dislikes intimacy. With some degree of exception for Serah though; Fang has seen the little pinknette being allowed to hug Lightning's arm as they walk together. But still, Lightning's like, the most unapproachable person ever alive. However, when it comes to the people Lightning actually cares about, she is… different. She still acts like she doesn't care, that she dislikes intimacy and open display of affections like hugs, but when Vanille actually hugs her on impulse… she doesn't push her away. Like, she doesn't want to hurt Vanille, whether physically or emotionally, by rejecting her hug. Instead, she'll just stand there, not knowing how to react and sometimes blushes. And her usually sharp eyes will be darting around nervously. Amusing.

Geez, Fang really has to congratulate Vanille when they meet up again later. That girl is good! She has managed to 'cheer' Lightning up. Well, not exactly 'cheered up', since Lightning isn't going all sugar and rainbows after all; but at least she is not somber anymore. In fact, she must be damn embarrassed and panic right now, not knowing what to do with Vanille clinging to her.

And Fang is damn sure, Lightning wouldn't have the heart to wake Vanille up just to get free from the little girl's clutch. Nope, that foolhardy, protective soldier would surely try to manage the situation without waking Vanille up. Even if that means she wouldn't get any sleep at all. Ha, Fang is just dying to know how things will turn out!

Fang struggles to stop herself from laughing again and talks to Lightning. "C'mon, Light, face it. No one can break free from Vanille's grip when she's fallen asleep. I think the best thing for you to do right now is to accept your fate for once."

A few moments of silence that Fang uses to hum a random, cheerful melody just for the sake of irking Lightning.

When Lightning speaks again, Fang can still hear the restricted panic and embarrassment despite her now-calm voice. "You sure there is no way to break free?"

"Yep, I'm one hundred percent sure," Fang answers, smirking smugly.

"Okay, then… over and out."

Fang grins. "See ya, Light. Good luck surviving the night."

Fang can't be sure if Lightning catches that last line, since she cuts the call off immediately. Fang chuckles. She has never thought things can go this way… but still, with a girl like Vanille, you'll never know. She is always so full of surprises, Fang thinks affectionately. She just wishes she can see Lightning's expression right now. Still laughing, Fang continues striding forward.

* * *

><p>Lightning stuffs her communicator back into her leg pouch. Her left arm is still supporting Vanille's torso, and the girl is still clinging to her neck with her head lying comfortably on her shoulder. However, Lightning has carefully put Vanille's legs down onto the ground so she can use her right hand to hold the communicator. Now that she's done with it, Lightning picks Vanille's legs up again.<p>

_Great. What am I supposed to do now?_

Lightning has hoped Fang would be able to help her out from this embarrassing situation, what with her being Vanille's friend for Makers know how long. However, the huntress has been less than useless. All she did was laughing like crazy and giving Lightning useless suggestion. Worse still, Lightning can tell from Fang's voice that she was smirking smugly.

_That jerk… _

But still, cursing Fang wouldn't help Lightning's situation. Lightning takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

_Deep breath. Organize thoughts. What are my options?_

One. Shrug Vanille's head and arms off without remorse.

Lightning shakes her head angrily. No matter how much she wants to get rid of Vanille's clutch, but she can't bring herself to be so cruel to the little girl. She has just fallen into a freezing river, dammit. She must be so tired… waking her up so roughly just so Lightning can get rid of her discomfort would just be wrong. Besides, it's not like Vanille is doing it on purpose anyway… she is just doing something that is natural for her.

So, option one is out.

Option two. Just sit down carefully, lean on a tree and try to rest.

Again, Lightning shakes her head. It sounds quite appealing, since she is indeed tired and wants to get some rest; but she just can't do that. If she falls asleep by chance, her arms will go limp and Vanille would fall. Again, too cruel for the little redhead. Option out.

Option three. Sit down and lean on a tree, but make sure to stay awake until Vanille wakes up by herself.

Lightning groans. Option three seems to be the most reasonable… It enables her to rest a bit, and at the same time she won't be waking Vanille up and can still stay awake to support her. The only drawback is that Lightning herself wouldn't be able to sleep.

_The best thing for you right now is to for once accept your fate, Light._

Lightning sighs when Fang's suggestion echoes in her mind.

"Right…"

Letting out another exasperated sigh, Lightning walks forward and carefully settles down at the base of a big tree, ensuring her movements do not jolt Vanille too much and wake her up. She continues cradling the redhead in her arms, trying to fight off the rising feeling of awkwardness as Vanille keeps clinging to her.

_Damn, this is gonna be a long night…_

However, just when Lightning's mind begins to wander, a strange hissing noise emanates from the darkening surroundings. Lightning's head shoot up as her eyes dart around the perimeters. And that's when she sees the gigantic Flan coming towards her and Vanille, its mouth opens wide as it hisses hungrily, its arms flailing dangerously around.

Lightning groans. _Why must every living soul keep annoying me today? _she thinks exasperatedly as she gets ready to fight.

But then, Lightning realizes that she is still holding Vanille in her arms. And there is no way she can fight without shrugging the redhead's hands off, which are still clinging tightly to her neck.

_Oh, damn. _

Without further ado, Lightning turns around and dashes away. Behind her, the Flan roars angrily and begins to chase its 'preys'. Lightning growls, speeding up a little. Under normal circumstances, she would've outrun the Flan in no time. However, now that she has to run while carrying Vanille, that feat has become a challenging one. Lightning grits her teeth as Vanille's weight begins to take its toll on her arms.

But still, Lightning runs and runs. The Flan is still too close for her to stop, and sometimes its flailing arms even almost hit Lightning. She jumps over a fallen tree trunk, stumbling slightly as she lands. Before she can even continue running, Lightning has to quickstep sideways to dodge the Flan's lashing arm once again.

_This is getting old!  
><em>

Lightning feels frustration welling up inside her, fueled by the thought that she can actually take this pestering Flan down in a few seconds if only she can use her hands. Shaking her head to get rid of the distracting thought, Lightning continues running. So far, her battle-trained senses have enabled her to dodge most attacks successfully. Every time Lightning hears the hiss of the Flan's arms as they cut through the air towards her, she would glance back to dodge the upcoming attack. Subconsciously, Lightning always has her back facing the Flan, thus protecting the little redhead in her arms from any upcoming attack.

Then suddenly a different hissing sound comes from Lightning's right. She glances and ducks immediately, right to evade the lashing arm of _another _Flan. Which has now joined the first Flan in chasing her.

"Can you all _stop _getting in my way?" Lightning shouts angrily, running in zigzag to avoid the two pairs of arms attacking her. She runs straight through a wall of bushes, into some sort of a wide clearing in the forest. That's when she realizes that it's begun to drizzle. She rolls her eyes. If there is a Lady Bad Luck like Sazh said, then that Lady must be the one standing by her side right now, while Lady Luck must be spreading all her love for Fang.

Lightning grits her teeth as she hears the crashing and the breaking of branches behind her as the two Flans trample their way through. She begins to dash further into the clearing, ignoring the cold droplets of rain that sometimes hit her. However, this isn't the case for Vanille.

As the cold droplets of rain fall on her face, Vanille begins to stir. The sudden roar of the Flans as they enter the clearing finally jolts her awake, squealing slightly in surprise.

Lightning looks down when she hears that familiar squeal and cannot be more relieved when she sees Vanille awake, blinking in confusion.

"Light? What's happening?" Vanille asks, tightening her arms around Lightning's neck when she realizes that Lightning is running.

"No time to explain! Just tell me, can you stand?" Lightning replies, glancing backwards.

"Uh, I think so…" Vanille answers.

"Good!"

With that, Lightning quickly puts the redhead down on the ground before turning to face the two annoying Flans. Vanille lets out a surprised cry when she sees the two Flans trampling out of the shadows of the trees. She hasn't seen them before, because the sun has fully set and their surrounding is dark, especially with the drizzle. Only the faint glow from the newly-risen moon and stars enable her to see.

However, suddenly everything flashes bright as Lightning's Wrath of Heavens tears the sky. Vanille almost jumps in surprise as the spell explodes right in front of them, scorching the Flans without giving them even any time to wail a dying cry. Then that's it, the spell disappears and the surrounding turns dark once more, the drizzle continues falling.

Lightning stares at the scorched remains of the Flans. Maybe she overdid it, but hey, she's had enough pestering today to keep her mood cranky. Shaking her head in annoyance, Lightning turns to look at Vanille. From what she can see, the girl seems to be okay. She is not shivering anymore, at least.

"You okay now?" Lightning asks, stepping towards Vanille.

Vanille is silent for a while, recalling the things that happened, but finally nods her head vigorously with a wide smile on her face.

"Yep! I'm fine now, Light, thanks to you!" Vanille says, bowing her head slightly at Lightning. That's when she notices that she is still wearing Lightning's cape as a scarf.

"Oh, here's yours… thanks again!" Vanille quickly takes the red cape off and hands it over to Light. Lightning grabs it and absentmindedly clips it back onto her shoulder.

"Hn. Can we rest now?" the soldier asks exasperatedly.

Vanille steals a glance at Lightning. Suddenly she feels guilty. Has Lightning been carrying her all the way here? She looks tired… and her arms are tense, proof that they have been supporting Vanille's weight for some time. But knowing Lightning, no matter how much Vanille feels guilty and grateful, she'd never accept her apology or thanks. She'd most likely just brush it aside with her usual 'it's fine.' Besides, Vanille is sure that Light wouldn't like it if she points out how tired she looks. Nope, she is way too stubborn and proud to admit that.

So, Vanille just pretends that she notices nothing and answers, "Yeah, sure!"

Lightning nods silently and leads the way towards a group of trees growing at the perimeter of the clearing. Their canopy is extremely thick, and when Vanille steps under it, she cannot even feel a single droplet of rain falling on her. A perfect place to spend the night under this drizzle; even though the same canopy also prevents moonlight from entering, causing the place to be almost completely dark. Surely, as the night grows older, the place will get even darker.

Vanille turns to look at Lightning. She knows the soldier may not like it, but she has to at least tell Lightning thanks. The soldier has, after all, saved her from freezing to death and also carried her all the way here.

Without hesitation, Vanille gives Lightning a quick hug. When she releases her, Vanille giggles as she sees the shocked look in Lightning's face.

"Thank you, Light. For everything," Vanille whispers, smiling softly as she looks into Lightning's deep blue eyes.

Lightning is still stunned for one more second, but soon she shrugs and says, "No big deal."

Vanille giggles and slides down to lie on the ground. Despite she's spent the afternoon unconscious, but she still feels tired. She wants to sleep as soon as possible, especially because of this rain… it brings back unpleasant memories—

_Stop there! _Vanille scolds herself, pinching her wrist secretly to stop her mind from wandering in that direction. She wouldn't want to think of those memories, not now, not when she is about to sleep. Especially, not in front of Lightning.

Luckily, Lightning doesn't seem to notice all of this strange behavior of Vanille's. Like the redhead, Lightning is tired as well. After rolling her shoulders to relieve the stiffness, she settles to the ground and lies down a few distance away from Vanille, with her back facing the redhead. Without turning, she says, "Sleep now, Vanille. We still have a long way to go tomorrow."

"Yeah…" Vanille replies.

With the drizzle still falling outside the canopy's protection and the darkness surrounding them, Vanille falls asleep.

* * *

><p><em>Sob, sob.<em>

_Sob._

Lightning's eyes snap open. Without moving a muscle, she scrutinizes her surrounding, listening carefully. Everything around her is still dark, and judging from the faint tapping sound, the drizzle is still ongoing. However, Lightning is sure that it wasn't the drizzle's noise that woke her up.

Lightning frowns. She has heard something else, she's sure of it. Something that disturbs her.

_Sob, sob._

Lightning blinks when she recognizes that sound. She grits her teeth, stopping herself from groaning. That voice is Vanille's, unmistakably. And that'd mean… that'd mean the redhead is having one of those nights again.

Lightning sighs. She's always pretended to be asleep, but she knows that ever since Sunleth Waterscape Post, Vanille often cries at nights. Her guess is that the redhead must be worried about the others, despite her always-so-cheerful disposition during the day. However, during all those times, Fang was usually there to comfort the little redhead. Still, Lightning never let herself fall asleep until she heard Fang had managed to calm Vanille down, indicated by the stop of her sobs.

But some days, Fang was just too tired after the journey during the day and fell asleep first. Vanille still cried, but she didn't wake Fang up because she didn't want to disturb her tired friend. Lightning didn't dare to comfort her like Fang did, but on such occasions Lightning still would not let herself fall asleep until she's heard Vanille's sobs had stopped and her breathing slowed down to a disturbed sleep full of nightmares. She felt guilty, of course, but what else could she do? She's never been good in comforting people, after all. What should she say? Everything's okay? Clearly it isn't.

And now, those sobs Lightning is hearing must be Vanille's again. Lightning doesn't know why, but the redhead always seems to have a higher tendency to cry when it rains at nights. Maybe something to do with her memory? Vanille says she likes to dwell in memories of happier days… Can she be unwillingly thinking of a bitter memory right now, thus the sobbing? Lightning doesn't know. She can only remain motionless and listens, waiting for Vanille's sobbing to subside.

But it doesn't. It's different tonight. Vanille seems to be very disturbed; she really can't sleep at all. She keeps sobbing and tossing around, trying her best to fall asleep.

Time passes, and Lightning remains unmoving, her back facing Vanille. But she is still awake, feeling worried for Vanille and wondering if she should at least try to comfort her. But what if she makes the redhead feel worse? What if Vanille misses Fang, and she is only wanting her friend to be by her side? What if she doesn't need Lightning?

Then suddenly, without warning, Lightning feels Vanille's hand hesitantly touching her back. Lightning keeps still, puzzled and unsure what to do, how to respond. But before she can make any decision, Vanille's back bump against hers softly. The little redhead seems to be looking for comfort and warmth, but she is also scared of waking Lightning up.

Lightning frowns. If Vanille doesn't need her, then she wouldn't reach out to her in the first place. The fact that the redhead is actually doing so just proves how much she needs some comfort right now, in any way she can get.

Huffing, Lightning makes her decision. She can't possibly do nothing when this frightened little girl is clearly needing some help, right?

Without saying anything, Lightning turns her body around and takes Vanille into her arms. Vanille's eyes shot open, startled, but soon she closes them again and turns around as well to face Lightning. She clings to the soldier desperately, sobbing. Lightning says nothing, but she cradles the redhead in her arms, tucking Vanille's head beneath her chin; just like how she comforts Serah whenever she has difficulty sleeping.

_Funny. You're so perky during the day but somber at nights… _Lightning thinks as Vanille keeps sobbing. _I wonder… what kind of bad memory are you thinking? _

What Lightning doesn't know is that the actual reason of Vanille's sleep-cry is because she's worried about everyone. She tries to keep smiling and not think about it too much during the day, of course. But when night comes and everything falls quiet, that's when those haunting thoughts will come back to her despite her effort to think of happier memories. She's worried about the others' fate, she is worried about Fang, what with her bold and sometimes-careless attitude. However, the reason on why she cries more often when it rains at night is because of _that_ memory… That memory of seeing Lightning dying in the rain, the rain that is draining life away from her blood-covered body after that fight against Barthandelus. Vanille is worried for the foolhardy soldier, she doesn't want something like that to happen to Lightning, ever again.

But as for now, Lightning is here, alive, with her strong arms winding around her protectively. Vanille can't really explain it, but being with Lightning just makes her feel utterly safe. Especially now… She has never expected the soldier to still be awake, how much more to actually be willing to comfort her. Not that Lightning says anything comforting though; she says nothing. But her actions, her mere presence and silent empathy, are enough to comfort Vanille.

Soon enough, Vanille's sobbing subsides and eventually stops as she falls asleep. Right then, Lightning realizes to her slight dismay that the redhead is clinging to her _again_ without any sign of letting go.

Lightning sighs.

_What a kid_, she thinks. _You are not much different from Serah_.

* * *

><p>Lightning wakes up suddenly in the morning when she hears that swooshing sound. She's heard it often enough to recognize it anywhere. Velocycles.<p>

Growling, Lightning quickly rises to her feet, shaking Vanille's arm urgently. She all but drags the sleepy redhead up to her feet the moment her emerald eyes open.

"Vanille, get up, now! PSICOM's here!" Lightning yanks Vanille's arm again, this time successfully pulling her up to her feet. Vanille blinks, trying to get rid of the disorientation caused by sleep. But when the velocycles' sound grows nearer, Vanille's eyes snap open fully and she looks up at the sky with fear in her eyes.

"What are they doing here? Have they caught Fang?" Vanille whispers worriedly to Lightning as the soldier leads her to hide under the cover of the thicker canopy.

"I don't think so," Lightning replies, crouching as her eyes watch the sky warily through the gaps in the canopy. "If they had, they would've announced it out loud, along with an ultimatum to force us out of our hiding."

Vanille sighs, feeling somewhat relieved. At least Fang is okay… She kneels on the ground, trying to make herself as small as possible as she, too, scrutinizes the skies.

"But they look like they are looking for something," Vanille whispers again as she sees two velocycles soaring above them.

Lightning bends lower as another velocycle drives past. "Yeah… it's either there is some random criminal going loose here, or they have spotted Fang but failed to catch her. Either way, I'm sure they still don't know about us yet."

"So we can run?" Vanille asks expectantly. She doesn't really want to fight in this kind of place… there are just too many obstacles that may block her attacks.

Lightning weighs her options for a while. There seems to be one whole unit out there, complete with their velocycles and weapons. If her hearing is correct, then they seem to be having some mechanical soldiers with them too, PSICOM Dragoon most probably. Or worse, a Viking. Whichever it is, Lightning would certainly face some trouble wiping them off without Fang's aid, especially in this kind of place. Not only will the vegetation obstruct her vision and attacks, some overzealous feral creatures might even be attracted by the sound of the fight. Moreover, Lightning can't risk getting Vanille hurt, not after she's just recovered from her freaky river accident yesterday.

"Tch."

Making her decision, Lightning nods to Vanille. Somehow, the girl still manages to reply her with a smile in this kind of situation. After looking up at the sky and listening intently to make sure no velocycle is currently around, Lightning gives Vanille the signal to run towards the next clusters of trees.

The two of them quickly dart out of their cover, bending low, moving as silently as possible. Only when they reach the cover of the trees do they allow themselves to straighten their bodies up.

Lightning huffs, looking behind them to make sure no foot soldiers are around. She's heard footsteps and a clumsy clank of weapons while they were darting, but those noises were still quite a distance away so she didn't bother about them too much.

Now about how they are going to lose them next…

Then suddenly, a sense of alarm rises in Lightning. She follows her instinct and looks up, right to see a PSICOM Dragoon lunging towards them from the sky.

"Vanille, watch out!"

"Eh?"

Lightning pushes Vanille out of the Dragoon's way right on time. The Dragoon crashes itself to the ground, exploding on contact. Brainless junk. However, his attack is enough indication that at least one PSICOM soldier on velocycle above has spotted them, or at least suspected something.

Lightning growls as her suspicion is proven correct by the whirring sound of velocycles driving towards them. She looks at their surroundings, and see many bushes around that can at least provide some cover.

No better choice.

"Vanille, just run! If we run amidst all these bushes, they wouldn't be able to see us clearly and recognize us as l'Cie!" Lightning hisses, shoving Vanille to run ahead of her. Vanille stumbles a little, but she obeys without question. She knows better than to disobey Lightning when it comes to battles.

And so Lightning and Vanille dashes out as fast as they can, fueled by the closing whirring of velocycles. Lightning spares a backward glance and sees a PSICOM soldier bursting out from the bushes, spots her, and yells something.

Muttering a curse, Lightning urges Vanille to run faster. Without looking back, the redhead increases her speed, Lightning following closely behind her.

Lightning smirks when she hears velocycles' sound, soldiers' footsteps and mechanical units' whirring noises all coming from behind her. Good. That means she and Vanille have gotten out of those PSICOM's patrol area and those soldiers are now behind, instead of around, them. So now all they need to do is to outrun those scums. Some may have spotted them, but Lightning is sure they have not recognized her and Vanille as l'Cie. At most, those soldiers would think they are mere civilian intruders.

However, that is when Lightning realizes another sound coming after them at a _much _closer distance.

Lightning turns around, right to see a lone Vespid flying after her. The monster is fast, but weak. Without hesitating, Lightning stops and turns around to confront the (soon to be junk) mechanic monster.

The Vespid screeches when it spots Lightning stopping and increases it speed, its sting vibrating violently, ready to attack. However, Lightning simply has to flick her gunblade open and with a powerful slash, splits the machine into half; leaving behind a pile of crackling wires and metal falling to the ground, no longer able to fly.

Sheathing her gunblade, Lightning quickly turns and continues running, following Vanille who has run quite a distance ahead of her. A fallen tree trunk gets in her way, but Lightning leaps over it effortlessly. The PSICOM's sounds are still quite a safe distance away…

Suddenly, a mechanically-amplified voice booms from behind them.

"Intruders! We know you are there! Stop running and surrender, or we'll attack!"

Lightning rolls her eyes, making no sign of slowing down. Really, is that the best they can do? Threats? Please, even Vanille can make way scarier threats than that standard military warning. Moreover, how do they expect to attack if they can't even catch up with them? Lightning's seen a glimpse of their velocycles, and she recognizes that model. Ciconia type, a model created more for leisure patrolling than speedy chase. Given their early start, Lightning is damn sure those velocycles would not be able to catch up with her nor Vanille.

But still, the earlier attack from that Vespid keeps Lightning running as fast as she can, beginning to catch up with Vanille who has been running way ahead of her due to her stop to eliminate that Vespid.

That's when loud, heavy clanking sounds come from behind. Lightning glances back and her eyes flash angrily as she sees the unmistakable form of a Viking a few distance away from them. That machine is equipped with gun-arms, of the type that can shoot bullets for a very long distance.

"Vanille, faster!" Lightning shouts at Vanille as she herself struggles to increase her pace. However, Vanille seems to have reached her limits; she glances back at Lightning, a look of desperation in her face. And instead of running faster, Lightning notices the redhead's sprint is getting slower. They've been running full tilt for a while, and it seems to have taken its toll on Vanille.

"Just run as fast as you can!" Lightning encourages Vanille, and the redhead faces front again and struggles to keep running. Lightning follows behind her, jumping over a cluster of bushes.

_No way we can outrun the bullets in this condition…_

Seeing no better choice, Lightning sends a Watera spell towards the Viking. By pure luck, the spell manages to hit the Viking right in its power source, short-circuiting and paralyzing it, but not before…

BANG!

_Damn._

In the split second it took for her Watera to hit, Lightning knows the Viking has managed to shoot its gun-arm; she can recognize that loud bang anytime… and she knows the bullet is coming straight towards them.

Lightning's first instinct is to jump sideways to dodge the bullet, but a horrifying thought soon hits her.

If she moves aside, the bullet will surely hit Vanille, since there is no more time to warn the redhead to dodge.

_I'm not losing anyone again._

Lightning grits her teeth and positions herself directly behind Vanille, shielding the little girl from anything. She's lost Serah; she is not losing anyone else. That's what she's promised herself, after all…

"Agh!"

A sickening tearing sound echoes through the air as the bullet finds its way into Lightning's right thigh, tearing its way in her flesh and goes all the way through her leg.

Vanille turns around the moment she hears Lightning's cry of pain, and she screams when she sees Lightning tumbling to the ground, blood flowing out like crimson river from the gaping hole in her leg.

Vanille quickly runs towards Lightning, worry almost driving her mind senseless. She has felt the broken fragment of the bullet brushing her calf, she knows that whatever it is hits her had to go through Lightning first considering the soldier was running behind her; but she's never thought Lightning would take a bullet dead-on.

"Light!"

* * *

><p>Lightning grits her teeth, trying her best to suppress a scream as a searing pain tears through her entire leg. She has never expected that bullet to go all the way through…<p>

_Damn all those brainless pieces of junk! _Lightning thinks furiously, imagining all the horrible things which involve the Viking bursting into smithereens.

Through her pain-blurred vision, Lightning sees Vanille running back towards her and she growls angrily. _What the hell is she doing? She is supposed to continue running!_

Lightning tries to get up, but even the mere action of twitching her leg causes excruciating throbbing to start and her blood to gush out even more. Groaning, Lightning clasps her hands around her wounded leg, trying to stop the bleeding. She can't even muster the strength to use a healing spell; the pain in her leg is sapping her energy. She can't even think clearly anymore.

Then suddenly, to Lightning's horror, the pain gradually disappears. She frowns, staring at her leg, but she is sure she hasn't cast any healing spell. Nor has Vanille, the girl is still too far away to send her any spell; moreover, the wound is still gaping open without any sign of closing like how it should be if a healing spell is applied. Yet the pain has almost disappeared completely by now.

There is only one dreadful explanation that comes into Lightning's mind: poison.

Right. That damn bullet is poisoned! Not the type of poison that causes dizziness and all that, but something way more dangerous. It's a type of poison that makes her unable to feel pain.

It may not sound dangerous at all for inexperienced people, but Lightning knows better. Losing her sense of pain is dangerous, since pain is actually an indication of the body's limits and Lightning can't judge just how badly she's been injured without it. She thinks quickly. She can stay for a while and ask Vanille to heal her, but it would take too long considering the depth of the wound. Moreover, they are not alone; the rest of those PSICOM soldiers are still hot on their trails!

Lightning makes her decision right when Vanille reaches her.

"Vanille, don't come here! Run!" Lightning shouts, pulling herself up to her feet. There is still no pain coursing through her, which disturbs Lightning even more.

"But your leg is…!"

"I'm fine! Run, now! They are right behind us!" Lightning says again, dashing towards Vanille. The redhead is still stunned, shocked upon seeing Lightning running with that kind of wound.

Growling impatiently, Lightning grabs Vanille's shoulder and shoves her away.

"Light, you shouldn't be moving! Your wound… it must be hurting, right?" Vanille asks, looking at Lightning's leg in fear. There is just something so frightening, seeing Lightning keep running with that ghastly wound and her blood gushing out… It's abnormal!

"Bullet's poisoned! Can't feel… anything…" Lightning pants, jumping over a pile of rocks into a stream that flows rapidly southward. _No blood trails, s_he thinks as she leads their way against the current, heading north. As the current flows, it washes Lightning's blood away.

But then, Lightning realizes that their footprints must have been left along the banks. Grunting, she sends Aero spell to break some branches along the bank of the river in the southward direction, to give an impression that they have gone in that direction while actually they are heading north. Vanille immediately catches her intention and helps to send more Aero spell further down the southern part of the river to make their ruse more convincing. Lightning nods her thanks to the redhead, continues wading forward while clutching her wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. She knows the bleeding won't stop as long as her wound keeps getting hit by flowing water like this, but there is no other way for them to get away from the soldiers. Besides, at least the loss of pain has enabled her to run in the stream like this, something that would've been impossible if she can feel the pain. Might as well use the opportunity…

Vanille soon catches up with her, and they move as quickly as they can, without breaking any branches that may rise suspicion that they are actually heading this way. Vanille still sends worried glances at Lightning, but she knows there is nothing she can do right now but to continue moving so they can lose those soldiers as soon as possible, then heal Lightning.

* * *

><p>"We've lost the intruders, sir," one PSICOM soldier reports to the sergeant in charge. The soldiers have been chasing the 'intruders' as fast as they can, despite they were indeed puzzled when they see the Viking short-circuiting by itself. Odd, but the sergeant has ordered them to continue chasing after the intruders so they did not think much about the Viking anymore.<p>

"Lost them?" the sergeants repeat, beginning to get angry. "How the hell can we lose two mere intruders?"

"But one of them is already injured, sir," another soldier reports. "We found a pool of blood a few distance away from here, and there are some blood trails."

"Then what on Cocoon are you waiting for? Follow the trails!" The sergeant barks angrily. "Why can't you idiots conclude that on your own? Must I always be your brains?"

"Uh… the trails disappear, sir. Near the stream… We suspect the intruders have used the stream to erase their trails."

Groaning, the sergeant briskly walks towards the said stream. He indeed spots a pool of blood a few distance away. _Geez, that intruder is damned; _he cringes as he sees all the blood. _The wound's gotta be a deep one, to be able to form a pool of blood like that._

From there, the sergeant indeed sees a trail of blood heading towards the stream. However, it's gone from there on. Those intruders must have really gone into the water to erase their trails.

The sergeant tilts his head, observing the perimeter. He can't lose them now, not when they were so close. He's been so pleased when one of his soldiers reported to have spotted a lone intruder yesterday, but it seems that there are actually two of them, from what glimpses he's seen of those intruders today.

That's when the sergeant sees the broken branches along the banks.

"Ha!" he yells in triumph. "See those broken branches? They must be caused by those intruders trampling their way through the stream! Amateurs!" he says triumphantly to his soldiers. The soldiers quickly gather to inspect the branches.

"So that means they were heading south?" one of them asks.

The sergeant groans. "Yes, that's right. Now, don't waste anymore time! Southward, move!"

With that order, the soldiers head southward, looking for the escaping intruders.

* * *

><p>Vanille slows down from her sprint, panting as she stops and grabs a tree to support her trembling body. She wheezes, trying to catch her breath. They had come out of the stream when it becomes too deep a while ago, and have been running through the forest since, fearing pursuit. However, no more sounds are coming from behind them.<p>

"I think we've lost them…" Vanille says between her panting, looking skyward at the orange sky. It's nearing sunset…

But when she doesn't get any response, Vanille turns around quickly. "Light?"

Vanille gasps when she sees Lightning. The soldier is lagging behind, clutching her leg that is still bleeding profusely. Lightning struggles to walk towards Vanille, dragging her leg. But before she can even move an inch, Lightning groans and falls to her knees, her torso slamming to the ground a second later.

"Light!" Vanille runs back towards her friend hurriedly.

_Dammit… I still can't feel… anything… _Lightning thinks grimly as she struggles to breathe. Despite there is no pain, but her body just won't obey her anymore. Especially her legs, which have gone entirely numb. For some reason, Lightning finds herself panting, struggling to breathe as fast as possible, since her body feels like it isn't getting enough oxygen. Even her vision is getting blurry…

Then Lightning hears Vanille skidding to a halt beside her, before her torso gets lifted onto the redhead's lap. The moment Vanille sees Lightning's extremely pale face covered in cold sweat, she knows that the soldier has lost too much blood. She must have not been able to realize it because of the absence of pain! Moreover, she has been pushing herself way beyond her limits; anyone else would have stopped the moment they see blood gushing out of a wound, regardless whether they can feel pain or not. But Lightning has ignored it instead and continues running for the sake of escaping those soldiers. And now, the loss of blood must have drained her body of oxygen, which explains Lightning's fast, struggled breathing.

Without wasting anymore time, Vanille quickly casts an Esuna for Lightning. She has to heal the Poison first, before closing the wound. Although she knows what will happen the moment that Poison is neutralized…

"Agh!"

The moment Esuna hits her leg, Lightning cries out as pain courses through her, pain that she has been oblivious to all this time. She clenches her fists tightly, trying to hold in the pain.

"Light, Light, it's okay! You'll be fine soon, I'll heal you!" Vanille says in panic, holding Lightning's leg down and casts a Curaga on it. Expected, the wound doesn't close immediately. It's far too deep and severe to be healed by a single Curaga. Vanille huffs, summoning more spells as Lightning's face twists in her effort to hold still.

"Don't worry Light, I'm working on it! You'll be fine… soon…" Vanille continues whispering reassuring words to Lightning, knowing how much pain the soldier is trying to hold in at the time. Lightning grits her teeth, stubbornly refusing to groan.

Luckily, soon Vanille sees the bleeding stops and the wound closing. Luckily the bullet hasn't damaged any bone… She adds a few more spells, to close the wound completely and to compensate for the loss of blood. Looking at Lightning's face, Vanille beams in relief when she sees the soldier opening her eyes.

"Thanks… Vanille…" Lightning says. _Damn poison… _When Esuna removed the poison from her system just now, all the pain has hit Lightning with a vengeance. But luckily, Vanille is a skilled Medic; she managed close the wound quick enough. The pain has disappeared completely now, for real. Lightning tries to sit up.

"Don't thank me, Light! I should be the one thanking you…" Vanille replies, helping Lightning to sit up. Lightning shakes her head in dismay, trying to stand up. However, her leg is still too weak to support her weight after suffering that injury.

"You shouldn't be moving around so soon, Light," Vanille warns warily.

"Tch. I won't just lie here wasting time, Vanille. We should be reaching Vile Peaks tonight, as well as Fang. I don't want to keep her waiting, worrying about us," Lightning says, trying once again to stand up but to no avail. Her body just feels so… drained.

Vanille huffs. There is some truth in Lightning's words, but still… the loss of that much blood must be leaving Lightning exhausted, no doubt about it, despite all the healing spells she's cast. Despite her effort to conceal it, Vanille can notice Lightning's ragged breathing and her trembling leg. But considering her stubbornness, there is no way Vanille can convince her to rest for a while.

Huffing, Vanille stands up.

"Alrighty then, we'll go now. But there is no way you can even walk straight with all that blood you've lost, Light, so I'll support you!" Vanille says, giving Lightning the most stern look she can muster.

Lightning rises her eyebrows. It's true, no matter how much Lightning hates the fact, but she knows her legs can barely support her, how much more walk. In that case, Vanille's help will be useful, but… can the little, fragile-looking redhead really do it?

Lightning eyes Vanille skeptically. "You sure? I'm like, uh, one head taller than you, y'know."

Vanille giggles when she hears this. "Just because I'm cute-sized, doesn't mean I can't support you, Light! I can do it if I want to."

With that, Vanille helps Lightning up and wraps the soldier's left arm around her slender shoulders. With her right hand, Vanille holds Lightning's waist, supporting her firmly.

"See, I can do just fine!" she chirps, beaming at Lightning.

Lightning groans, ignoring Vanille's jubilation and starts dragging her numb leg forward. Vanille starts to move as well, careful to maintain steady support for Lightning. The soldier must be extremely tired; despite her effort to walk straight, her exhaustion still wins and she soon leans on Vanille's shoulder, her head bowing down in tiredness.

Vanille sighs, shaking her head at the drained soldier. "Y'know, we can rest for a while, Light… you were wounded so badly, and—"

"No, thanks," Lightning grumbles without lifting her head. Vanille rolls her eyes, huffing in exasperation. But she can't do anything to stop Lightning. Even if she refuses to support the soldier, she would most probably still stubbornly drag herself forward.

So Vanille has not much choice but to help Lightning, despite she's still worried about her friend's condition. Really, she should be resting right now, what with the amount of blood she's lost… but at this rate, Vanille can only help Lightning so they can reach Vile Peaks as soon as possible. Fang surely must have reached Vile Peaks by now… They were held off quite some time by those PSICOM soldiers. Vanille just hopes Fang has set up the camp for tonight, since she is just so tired.

* * *

><p>"This is the gate, right, Light?" Vanille asks, staring at the high wall of crackling energy before her. They have finally made their way through Sunleth Waterscape, and are now standing before the electric gate separating them from the Vile Peaks. The wall is made up entirely of electricity, the electric blue lines being constantly shot out across two poles that made the gate. The sun has just set, and the eerie blue glow from the gate is making Vanille feels uneasy.<p>

"Right…"

Lightning's reply comes a bit slow and her voice is weak. Vanille looks down worriedly at the soldier leaning against her. She _has _to get her to rest soon. But first, the gate.

"Alright then… here we go!" Vanille fishes out the grav-con unit from her pocket, inspecting it. After a few seconds, she finally spots the activation button and presses it down firmly, hoping it'd work.

Vanille huffs in relief when the grav-con unit activates, beeping and explodes to surround them with the anti-gravity field. Vanille recognizes the feeling of weightlessness caused by the unit. She knows that if she jumps, she'd just go all the way up and has to struggle to get back to the ground. She is not like Lightning, who is so used to the zero-gravity effect and can maneuver around, almost flying around freely. Luckily, for now, no jumping is needed.

Vanille takes a deep breath, looking at the menacing electric wall before her. _What if the grav-con unit doesn't work?_

"Don't worry… we'll be fine."

Vanille jolts out from her hesitation when she hears Lightning's voice. She looks down, and sees Lightning's blue eyes opening slightly, gazing at her through the pink hair that is covering her face. Lightning looks dead tired, but she can still sense Vanille's fear and hesitation.

Upon seeing this, Vanille's bravery returns. She trusts Lightning.

"Okay, then!" Taking a deep breath, Vanille steps forward and walks past the gate, closing her eyes…

…And opens them again when nothing happens after a few steps. Vanille turns around, and sees that she has successfully passed the gate. Geez, she didn't even feel anything! The grav-con unit has indeed nullified the electricity. It's dispersed into nothingness now, but it's achieved its purpose. Grinning, Vanille continues moving forward, looking around.

The Vile Peaks is still exactly the same as how she remembers it to be… Dark, rocky, filled with metal junk. The only illumination comes from the stars up above, but luckily it's quite sufficient. Still, Vanille doesn't really like the dark-blue surroundings. She continues moving forward, somewhat missing the feeling of grass beneath her feet that has now been replaced by the solid, rough rocks. But never mind that; now to find Fang…

* * *

><p>Fang has just settled into a secluded area protected beneath a small rock hill, when she hears the shuffling of footsteps. She grins, knowing that it must be Vanille and Light. With ease, Fang jumps her way onto the top of the rock hill and waves down to attract Vanille's attention.<p>

However, Fang's grin disappears and her hand freezes when she sees Vanille supporting Lightning on her shoulder.

"Light! Vanille!" Fang shouts, immediately jumping down and runs towards her friends. Vanille nods at her, a smile immediately illuminates her face.

"Fang!" Vanille replies enthusiastically.

"Hey, 'Nille, what happened? Is Light okay?" Fang asks worriedly, eyeing Lightning's unmoving form.

"She's fine, Fang, she just lost much blood… I'll tell you the story later, but now we need to let her rest!" Vanille answers, continues shuffling forward again. "I hope you've set the camp?"

Fang nods. "Yep. It's just right over there. Come, I'll help ya with that."

Fang reaches out and grabs Lightning's arm, separating her from Vanille and supports the soldier with her own shoulder. She smirks when she sees Lightning's eyes flash open, piercing blue amidst her pale face.

"Hello, there, Lightnin'. You look beaten up," Fang says, rising her eyebrow at Lightning, a small smirk plays at the tips of her mouth.

A soft growl emanates from Lightning, but otherwise she remains still. Fang tilts her head. _Wow, she must be really tired, _the huntress thinks. Without saying anything else, Fang leads the way towards the base camp she's set.

As soon as they reach the camp, Fang puts Lightning down gently against a big rock. Lightning opens her eyes and leans her head back against the rock, letting out a deep breath. She still looks drained, though.

"Feeling better?" Vanille asks, kneeling beside Lightning. The soldier simply nods without opening her eyes, which actually proves that she has not felt _much _better. Her face still looks extremely pale, too…

Vanille huffs. "I think you should drink some Potion, Light," she suggests, reaching out to the pile of provisions Fang has laid out nearby.

"No… we may need them more in the future. I'm fine, Vanille, just let me rest…" Lightning refuses firmly. Vanille is still unconvinced though.

"Hey, don't think like that! You need some Potion, Light, I'm sure of it. Here, drink this!" Vanille grabs a vial and offers it to Lightning.

However, Lightning still stubbornly refuses. "No need, Vanille. I'm not gonna waste our Potions when I can just rest for a while to get better."

"But…"

Fang decides to interfere right then. She places a hand on Vanille's shoulder, making the redhead looks up to her, a frown on her face.

"Leave her be, 'Nille. She's right, we can't afford to waste Potions."

"But, Fang!"

"A-a. Don't worry, kiddo, I'm not done," Fang says, patting Vanille's shoulder reassuringly when the redhead begins to protest.

Fang kneels down as well, reaching into her pocket, taking out a vial of Potion and shakes in front of Lightning's face.

"See this, Light? This is my Potion, my share for that fight with Barthandelus. I haven't finished it, there are still a few sips left… for ya," she says, smirking at Lightning's stoic face. "You've got no reason not to drink it, yea? After all, I'm more than ready to stuff it down yer throat if you dare complain," the huntress adds.

Lightning groans, but finally complies. She doesn't have much energy to argue, after all, so she just grabs the vial from Fang's hand and downs the content. As soon as the cold liquid enters her system, Lightning immediately feels better. She can lift her head up without shaking anymore, at least.

Vanille beams in relief when she sees Lightning looking better. But she still wouldn't let the soldier move around too much yet.

"Now, now. Don't move around too much, Light, you should still rest! Why don't you sleep for some time while we get something to eat?" Vanille offers.

Lightning has begun to open her mouth to protest, but Fang interferes again. "Whoops, no protesting, now. If you don't obey Vanille, I'll whack your head to make you sleep, Light," the huntress threatens, her right hand moving towards the red lance on her back.

Lightning growls angrily at Fang, but Vanille giggles and grabs her shoulders. "Don't get angry, Light, Fang didn't mean it! We just want you to rest, okay? It's not like we'll need your help in hunting for food, after all. Relax, and let us help you for a change."

Realizing she can't win against these two people while she is that exhausted, Lightning finally gives in. She mutters a 'thanks,' before sitting back against the rock and closes her eyes. She is indeed tired…

* * *

><p>Lightning wakes up when Vanille shakes her shoulders gently. She sits up straight, looking around to see something being roasted over the campfire by Fang. Vanille looks as cheerful as always, kneeling beside her and pats her shoulders.<p>

Shaking her head to relief the stiffness in her neck, Lightning assesses her condition and is pleased to find her energy has returned after the rest. Not only is she able to have full control over her legs again, but she also doesn't feel breathless anymore.

"You okay now?" Vanille asks, tilting her head.

"Yeah, thanks…" Lightning replies, proving her point by getting up onto her feet and strides straight towards Fang. The huntress grabs one of the roasted meats pierced on a stick and throws it to Lightning, who catches it effortlessly.

Nodding her thanks, Lightning sits beside Fang, followed by Vanille. They eat dinner silently, too hungry to start a conversation.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Vanille sighs in satisfaction, leaning back on her palms. "Aw, I'm soooo tired! Mind if I sleep first?" the redhead asks, yawning as she looks at her two companions.<p>

"Go ahead, kiddo. Sleep in the shadow of that rock hill, will ya? It'll conceal us from enemies," Fang answers, waving her hand at Vanille.

"Un!" Smiling, Vanille gets up to her feet. To Lightning, she grins, waves her hands and says, "Ciao!" before bouncing away towards her sleeping spot. Lightning just stares at the redhead emptily.

However, as soon as Vanille can be seen lying down on her side on the ground to sleep, Fang calls out to Lightning.

"Hey, Light."

Lightning's gaze shifts to Fang, but it remains uninterested. She just keeps silent, but Fang knows Lightning long enough to interpret her silence as "What."

"Wanna go for a walk? I'm sure you're not that tired anymore, right?"

Lightning rises her eyebrow at Fang, feeling suspicious. She knows the huntress must be having something to say, but…

"How about Vanille?" she asks, glancing back at the redhead who is clearly already fallen asleep.

Fang waves her hand, rising to her feet. "She'll be fine. I'm sure this place is safe, I already cleaned this area of monsters while waiting for you two. Besides, the rock hill will protect her from view."

Huffing, Lightning finally agrees and stands up as well. She falls into step beside Fang, who has made her way towards a winding path between two tall rock hills.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes of walking silently in the dim surroundings, Fang finally breaks the silence by clearing her throat, drawing Lightning's attention.<p>

Fang sighs, scratching her neck. "Uhhh, how should I put this…"

Lightning knows Fang has something to say, and she doesn't intend to let the huntress waste time thinking about how to arrange her words nicely. So she demands, "What?"

Fang scoffs, letting her hand falls to her side. But finally, she looks straight into Lightning's eyes and says, "I've gotta say sorry… Vanille's told me everything, about how you two were chased by those PSICOM. To tell ya the truth, a few PSICOM soldiers spotted me yesterday. Actually I could've hid or run away, but I, uh, felt bored and decided to whack them up…"

"You did _what_?"

Fang rises her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I know what I did was impulsive! I'm sorry, okay? I did whack the senses out of those PSICOM soldiers, but one coward managed to run away while I was preoccupied with his comrades. And I think that one chicken was the one alerting the sergeant, causing that unit to search for me but ended up finding you and 'Nille."

Fang looks down on the ground. "Sorry. I really didn't realize that one coward managed to run away. He fled without even fighting…"

Lightning is actually about to give Fang an earful about self-control, but at the end decides that it doesn't worth the effort. It's not like lecturing Fang can change what's happened, after all. Besides, the huntress will have most likely forgotten everything she says when the sun rises the next day, anyway.

So Lightning just resorts to rolling her eyes, glares sharply at Fang and says, "You being sorry doesn't change a thing. Just make sure you don't do anything so idiotic like that ever again, Fang, or my opinion of your intelligence will drop as low as that of Snow's."

Fang lets out a bitter laughter, shaking her head. Coming from Light, she knows those cold words can actually be translated as 'there is nothing to forgive'. So Fang replies, "Don't worry, Light, I won't do it again. Really, I'm sorry. I haven't expected any danger to actually happen in Sunleth Waterscape, y'know? But as they say, Lady Luck doesn't always smile at you."

Lightning scoffs, looking away from Fang. She is not interested in discussing things that have passed. Besides, she can't entirely blame Fang. She knows the huntress' nature and it's just expected of her to get bored and want to get some fun whacking random PSICOM soldiers. It's not her fault either that the PSICOM unit managed to spot Lightning and Vanille.

"But anyway…" Fang says again, drawing Lightning's attention back to her. The soldier is mildly surprised, however, when Fang inclines her head slightly to her.

"I've gotta thank you, Light… for protecting Vanille while I wasn't there."

Lightning blinks. Then she cracks a faint smile at the Oerban, nodding. "It's fine, Fang."

Fang looks back up at Lightning, smiling sadly. "Still, I thank you. I didn't expect any danger to happen, as I told you, but… yeah."

Lightning shrugs. "Really, Fang, it's fine. I didn't protect Vanille simply out of obligation, I did it because… I also don't want her to get hurt."

Fang's sad smile widens, but she keeps silent.

Lightning averts her gaze to the sky once again, her face turning expressionless. Then, without looking at Fang, she asks absentmindedly, "Y'know, I was wondering… will you protect Serah for me too, if anything happens?"

To Lightning's surprise, Fang immediately stops walking the moment she hears those words. She turns to face Lightning, her face suddenly flaring in anger. It makes her features feral; something so frightening that ordinary people would've turned tail and run the moment they see it. But not Lightning. She just stares back at Fang in mild surprise.

"What do you mean by that?" Fang demands, her fists clenched and her teeth bared in anger. Her sudden aggressive behavior immediately rises alarm in Lightning, and she eyes Fang cautiously. But still, she answers the question.

"Nothing in particular. It's just… I'd be more assured if I know someone will protect Serah, if anything happens to me…"

Fang growls louder, cutting off Lightning's words. "Are you saying that you're going to _die, _Light? What, are you planning to kill yourself in the next fight against Barthandelus?"

Lightning sighs, beginning to feel annoyed. "I'm not planning to die, Fang. But I'm just being realistic, okay? We all know Barthandelus can only be defeated using Fafnir. And Fafnir—"

Before Lightning can say anything else, her words have turned into a pained gasp as Fang crashes into her, pushing her backwards and pinning her against the rock wall sternly. The huntress' right arm is crossed over Lightning's shoulders firmly, pushing her down with almost-inhuman strength, preventing her from even budging. Lightning growls, trying to break free from Fang's grip, but the huntress manages to keep her grip.

"Fang!" Lightning roars in fury, reaching for her gunblade. But before her right hand can even reach its hilt, Fang's left hand has caught her wrist, pinning her right arm firmly against the rock as well. Lightning struggles to break free, but to no avail.

Growling, Lightning bares her teeth in anger at the Pulsian huntress in front of her. "What the hell are you doing, Fang?"

Fang growls back at her, fury flaring in her eyes. "I'm trying to beat some sense into your stubborn head, Light! What the hell was all those crap about, are you telling me that you're gonna skin yourself to death with Fafnir in the next fight? Hmm? Is that what you were saying?"

"I told you, I'm just being realistic! You know Fafnir's damn power, you know we have no choice but to use it, and you know what that'd mean! Stop being so naïve and face reality! Don't tell me you actually think we can defeat Barthandelus without any injury at all?" Lightning hisses angrily, trying to lunge forward to break free.

Yet Fang's grip holds. She grits her teeth angrily, before staring into Lightning's eyes with her flaring jade eyes. With dangerously calm voice, she asks, "Are you telling me that you're gonna sacrifice yourself if that means we can beat Barthandelus, Light?"

Lightning's jaws tighten. She hates talking about her motives to other people, but somehow her words just come out. "I will, if that means Serah will survive."

Fang roars upon hearing this, pressing her arms down even more forcefully, causing Lightning to wince upon the sheer strength. Before Light can say anything else, Fang has glared once again into her eyes. Through gritted teeth, the huntress growls, "You… how the hell can you just think of doing that? You think you die, and everything will be sugar and rainbows? How do you think Serah will feel if you die, even if you take Barthandelus along with you? How do you think the rest of us will feel, hmm?"

Lightning's gaze turns ice-cold. She remains silent, but Fang shouts, "Answer me!"

Lightning shrugs. "Well, I wouldn't mind if you all hate me for doing it. You can hate me, you can curse me all you want… as long as all of you survive," she says softly, but with such finality in her voice that proves that she is serious, that she means every single thing that she's said.

Fang has certainly not expected this answer. She is stunned, speechless. She can only gape at the soldier in front of her.

Lightning stares back coldly into Fang's eyes, but she is surprised when suddenly Fang's furious expression disappears, leaving behind an expression of desperation that Lightning has never seen on her face. The huntress seems to be having difficulty saying what she has in mind.

After a while, Fang finally speaks. However, she holds her gaze downwards, unable to meet Lightning's eyes.

"But, Light… I don't want to lose anyone, even if we have to fight Barthandelus. Especially… not you."

Lightning remains quiet, stunned. _What…?_

Slowly, Fang rises her face and looks straight into Lightning's eyes. Lightning is shocked to see those jade orbs containing so much sadness and pain in them. When she talks, her voice is hoarse with sadness.

"Lightning, please… When I found you in the rain that day, bloody, unmoving… I thought you were really dead. Do you know how I felt that time?" Fang almost shouts, her arm trembling against Lightning's shoulders.

Lightning can't answer. She has never guessed Fang had been affected this much by that incident… she's looked as carefree as always… But then again, maybe Fang's just hiding her plight so well, just like Vanille.

Fang growls again, ignoring Lightning's silence. "I thought I would never see you again… I thought I would never be able to fight alongside you again. I thought… I'd never see my partner again."

Fang shakes her head angrily, looking down once more. "Please, Light… Don't let me go through all that again… We'll find a way to beat Barthandelus without you having to kill yourself, so don't you even think about that again! I won't let you die, so don't you ask me to look after Serah when you're gone! You're not dying for us, you hear me?"

Lightning stares back into Fang's flaring eyes, sapphire meeting jade. Now she understands Fang's plight. Fang… Lightning has always cared much about her, but she never thought Fang feels the same way about her too, what with her carefree attitude. But now… the huntress is actually getting so worked up upon the mere prospect of her dying. Other than Serah, Lightning has never met anyone who expresses their fear of losing her like this. Even since she was young, she's always been a loner. Having lost her parents, no one except Serah cares whether she lives or dies. She wasn't like Serah, who is likable and has many friends who care about her. Lightning is more of the feared, hated type of person. So now, the soldier is slightly surprised that someone actually cares about her this much. And now she realizes how stupid she's been, talking to Fang about all that dying possibility. She's never thought how much it's hurt her best friend. No wonder Fang's reacted so furiously.

Lightning sighs, hesitating for a while. But finally she makes up her mind.

She looks up. "Alright, Fang, I'm sorry… Don't worry, all this time I've striven not to let myself die. I was just… thinking bout what will happen if the other possibility somehow takes place… but don't worry, I won't think that way again. We'll find a way to beat Barthandelus… with everyone surviving."

A sad smirk finally spreads on Fang's face, and the huntress loosens her grip on Lightning's shoulders and arm.

"That's what I want to hear, you jerk," Fang whispers, hitting Lightning's forehead with hers lightly. Then she lets go of Lightning, stepping backwards.

Lightning huffs, pushing herself off the rock wall and rubs her sore shoulders. "Y'know , you didn't have to be that aggressive just to change my mindset, did you?"

Fang barks out a bitter laughter. "But you're just so stubborn, Light, so I don't think normal heart-to-heart talk will work with ya. Besides, you can get so hard-headed and selfless that it gets annoying." _Seriously… she doesn't mind being hated as long as we live? _

Lightning scoffs, looking away.

"But really… what were you thinking during that last fight? With Barthandelus, I mean. Were you… really thinking that you'd die?" suddenly Fang asks again.

Lightning ponders the question for a while, racking her blurry memory about that desperate fight. She doesn't really like sharing her feelings with others like this, but so does Fang… yet the huntress has told her everything she feels. Bout time to return the favor…

Lightning lets out a deep breath and looks away from Fang's eyes. She hesitates, but finally answers the question.

"I… really thought I'd die. I mean, it was so painful that all I wanted was to get rid of the pain. Even if that means I'd die."

Fang crosses her arms, listening intently to Lightning. She knows that's not all.

"But then, I remember Serah, Vanille, you… and the others. I realized that if I died, I wouldn't be able to meet any of you again. I wouldn't be able to hear Serah's laughter again… I wouldn't see Vanille's smile again… and I wouldn't be able to fight alongside you again, Fang," Lightning continues, finally looking up to meet Fang's eyes.

"And that's when I realized I didn't want to die. I didn't want to… miss all the happiness I can get with you all. Y'see, I've sworn that I'll protect those I care about. But at the same time, I'll do my best not to die as well. Because I want to spend all the time I can with those people I care about. May sound selfish, but that's it," she adds, shrugging.

To Lightning's surprise, Fang laughs when she hears this, placing her hands on her hips. "What a relief to hear that! Now I can be sure that you'd do your best to stay alive, Light," the huntress says, grinning at Lightning. "Come to think of it, we're so alike, yea? I've sworn to protect my family as well… without dying, so I can stay by their side and spend every minute with 'em."

Fang blinks. "Not that I have any real family, though," she adds. "But I've got Vanille. I've considered her as my own family. And I've considered you to be part of my family too, Light, whether you like it or not," Fang smirks arrogantly at Lightning.

Lightning rolls her eyes, crossing her arms.

"I don't mind…" she whispers softly.

Fang's smirk grows wider when she hears this. Lightning may look cold and emotionless, but Fang knows she actually cares. Fang has indeed been helped a few times by Light, especially when she is lost, not knowing what to do next… That pretty much proves that she cares. That's why, Fang always tries her best to beat some sense into Lightning's head, so she won't do anything foolhardy. Because Fang knows, she cares about Lightning too. Caring for each other, helping each other out, fighting alongside each other, looking after each other's back… That's pretty much what kin do, right?

Smirking, Fang holds out her fist towards Lightning. "Well, then. Partner?"

Lightning considers it for a while, but then smirks as well and bumps her fist against Fang's. "Partner."

* * *

><p>"Y'know, Light," Fang says, looking up at Lightning.<p>

The two of them have returned to Vanille's place, and are now at the top of the small rock hill beside the campfire, looking up at the night sky. Fang is lying on the ground casually with her arms folded beneath her head, her lance lying beside her; while Lightning is sitting on a rock next to Fang, her elbows resting on her knees.

"What?" Lightning replies, looking down at Fang's head. Which is adorned with her usual cocky smirk once again.

"I've never had anyone else besides you and Vanille who still accept me after knowing all I've done to Cocoon before."

Lightning scoffs. "I told you, Fang, all that matters to me is what you do at the present. Besides, all you did in the past was just something to protect your family. I can't blame you for that, now, can I?"

Fang chuckles, looking back up at the sky. "Nope."

"In fact, I don't have many people I can trust, either," Lightning says absentmindedly, gazing at the stars as well.

Fang rises her eyebrows. "But do you trust me, though? Cos I know I do," she adds.

Lightning smirks. "Yes, I do trust you, Fang… in battles and everything… though sometimes I find your personality a bit, uh, challenging for patience."

Fang chortles upon hearing this, lifting her body up to a sitting position and stretches her arms. "You're one to talk. _Your _personality is even more challenging, Light, what with your anti-social, cold behavior! What, are you telling me you can't cope with my teasing? Y'know I just like teasing you cos your reaction is damn amusing for me, Light. Besides, imagine Vanille! She's been with me for so many years, and she doesn't complain 'bout my personality," Fang says, rising her eyebrows tauntingly at Lightning.

Lightning just groans. "Vanille is different. She's cheerful, she can laugh your mischief off… but I find your mischief, _and_ hers, annoying when you two go overboard with it."

Fang smirks with her trademark arrogance. "Well, you'll get used to us. We're your new family anyway, and you're stuck with me and Vanille now," she says triumphantly. The huntress throws a glance at Vanille's sleeping form behind them, smiling softly when she sees the redhead sleeping soundly.

Lightning notices Fang's glance, and without being able to stop herself, asks a question she's been wondering about for a while.

"How was living in Oerba like?"

Lightning immediately regrets asking. Has she offended Fang? Oerba is gone now… maybe Fang wouldn't like to reawaken memories of her now-dilapidated home.

But to Lightning's mild surprise, Fang grins. She looks, of all things, happy to be asked about Oerba.

"Well, it's quite a long story, Light."

Lightning shrugs. "I have nothing better to do after all. You can go ahead with the story for as long as you want," she says, feeling interest sparks up in her.

"Hmm," Fang hums. "Where do I start?" she looks up at the sky, trying to arrange her memories.

After a while, she looks back at Lightning and begins. "Well, since I left Oerba wih Vanille as l'Cie five hundred years ago, so I can only tell you how it was like as how I remember it to be in my childhood."

Lightning nods. She doesn't mind, she just wants to know how Oerba was like.

Fang continues. "There were many different clans in Gran Pulse, spread across places like Oerba, Haerii Archaeopolis, Paddraean Archaeopolis and some other smaller villages. I don't know much about the others, but in Oerba there were quite a number of clans. Each clan specialized in one aspect, each contributing for the village, like one big family… Examples of clans that I remember are… uh, the Nea clan—they were scholars and teachers—and the Lor clan, who grew crops for the village. As for my clan, the Yun clan, we were hunters." Fang smirks lazily at Light. "Our main duty was to hunt for meat for the village. Quite fun."

Fang shifts her sitting position, grabbing her lance and turns it around absentmindedly.

"As for Vanille's Dia clan, they were the healers. The clan is just so skillful and knowledgeable in healing, and they keep training and passing the knowledge to their next generations. They were only mainly using bandages, herbs and other stuff, yet they've saved many lives in Oerba. But y'see, sometimes some people in Gran Pulse were born with magic abilities. Many of them come from the Dia clan, making them our best healers, even as children." Fang smirks. "Adored brats, they were."

Lightning rises her eyebrows. "Does every child live with their respective clan?" she asks.

"Nah. Some children were unlucky enough to be orphans; and the other families in their clan may not be able to accommodate them, so these children are sent to orphanage. I was one of 'em," Fang shrugs.

Lightning nods, waiting for Fang to continue.

Fang grins. "But I don't really care, yea? Orphanage was fine. I met many children from different clans there… like Vanille." Fang's grin broadens. "Before I tell you how we met, I've gotta tell you bout my parents first…" Fang scratches her head.

"Eh, they died when I was just a kid, but the elderly in the village told me things… some things about how I used to bite anyone who came close to me except my parents." Fang rolls her eyes.

"My clan was so proud of me, they said I was a true hot-blooded Yun. They said I'd grow up to be one strong hunter, considering how I've acted like a feral Megistethorian even as a kid. Thus, they called me: Fang. Fang of the Yun clan, from the village of Oerba… Oerba Yun Fang." Fang smirks, shrugging. "So here I am," she spreads her arms. "Fang."

Lightning crosses her arms, trying not to smirk. "That name really suits you," she comments, imagining a wild-haired little girl growling and biting any stranger who dared to come close to her. As hunters, no wonder her clan took pride in her. But then, a thought flashes in Lightning's mind. "Is that why you tattooed that… Megistethorian-looking symbol on your arm?"

Fang barks out a laughter. "Bingo. It wasn't me who decided to tattoo my arm, though; it was my clan's tradition… to tattoo those who had turned seventeen with a symbol that represents their personality. For me, they decided on this Megistethorian jaws… although they did add on something else," Fang smirks.

"Is it the spikes on the lower jaw?" Lightning asks, looking at the large tattoo on her companion's arm.

Fang laughs again. "You really are perceptive, aren't ya? Well, bingo again. But these aren't spikes, these are… uh, fangs," the huntress says, turning her arm towards Lightning so she can see it better. Lightning scoffs. "Figures," she mutters.

"Did it hurt when they tattooed it?" Lightning frowns. That tattoo really is large… covering almost Fang's entire upper arm.

Fang shakes her head. "Nope. Someone from the Dia clan always assisted the tattooing, applying some kind of liquid on my arm so I wouldn't feel too much pain. It stung afterwards, but nothing much," Fang smirks. Then she seems to remember something.

"Oh, right, I remember one of the elderly telling me that my mother used to have a Megistethorian's claw tattoo…" Fang says, scoffing. "Seems to run in the family."

"Do you… miss your parents?" Lightning asks. She knows it might be a sensitive subject, but Fang seems happy enough to answer any question at the moment… and Lightning was indeed curious.

Fang shrugs. "Nah, you can't miss people you barely remember about. I hardly have any memories of them, I don't even remember their faces. Lucky, I guess, since I don't have to miss them and all that."

The huntress continues when Lightning keeps silent. "For as long as I can remember, I've been living in Oerba's orphanage throughout my childhood. And that was where I met Vanille," she says, looking affectionately at the sleeping redhead. "She was also an orphan, but she's never met her parents at all. The village's elderly were the ones naming her… but never mind that, the important event was when I helped her out from bullies one day. They were making fun of her bright red hair, so I… introduced them to my fist." Fang smirks.

"And since then, 'Nille kept following me around. I liked her company and cheerful attitude, so I let her follow me around… the best decision I've ever made in my life. Y'see, as children we went to a common school to study basic general knowledge… As we grow older, we eould be taught by people from our respective clans. Hunting for me, healing for Vanille. But we still lived in the orphanage. That's why, you can say Vanille and I have grown up together, just like sisters."

Fang looks up, staring at the night sky, suddenly turning serious.

"And I swore to myself, I will do anything to protect Vanille, to always be by her side. I know Vanille needs me, and I need her too. She was… the first person to truly care about me, the rebellious orphan with intimidating name. Even if we should be separated, I swear to always find her. I _will_ come and find her, no matter where she goes... I'll tear down the sky if it'll save her." Fang lets her gaze drop back to Lightning, smirking solemnly.

Lightning keeps silent, pondering Fang's story. From what Fang's told her, Oerba sounds like a good place to live in. A place where everyone is bonded…

However, Fang doesn't intend to let Lightning keep quiet like that after she has shared about her past.

Smirking, Fang bends towards Lightning and says, "My turn. How bout you, hmm? I've been wondering for so long, why 'Lightning'? And what's with the necklace?" the huntress asks, gesturing at Lightning's necklace, which she has been fiddling around with absentmindedly. Lightning quickly drops her hand to her side. Fang notices that she seems reluctant to share about her past.

Fang groans. "Come on, Light, I've just told you about my past. About right if you tell me some part of yours, too, right?" the she asks, pursing her lips.

Lightning glances at Fang and sighs in exasperation. "Don't try giving me your kicked-puppy look now, Fang. It won't work."

Fang chortles, shaking her head. "Alright, alright, I'll stop looking miserable. But really, you're making me feel miserable! Come on, one story wouldn't hurt, right? I just want to know about that necklace and the story behind your name… I've told you about mine after all! Or don't you trust me?" Fang asks.

Smart move. Lightning sighs, still reluctant to share about her past but doesn't want to make Fang thinks she doesn't trust her. Rolling her eyes, Lightning finally gives in. "Fine."

Fang grins triumphantly, adjusting her position to a more comfortable one and looks at Lightning lazily through her half-closed eyelids. "I'm all ears, sergeant. You can start with the necklace first and save that best part about your name for the last," she winks.

Lightning groans. "Don't expect a long story like yours, though. Mine is… uneventful."

Fang shrugs, still grinning.

Lightning falls silent for a while, unsure how to start. But finally, she huffs and begins.

"…I got that necklace from my parents. It was… their birthday present for me, and they said something like 'it really represents you' or something. I didn't really understand it at the time, but then… yeah, they died." Lightning shrugs.

Fang just remains silent and lets the soldier continues. She knows how hard it is for Lightning to talk about her parents... Fang knows they've died, and that Lightning has taken the responsibility of ensuring her and Serah's survival. Mustn't be easy, to talk about people who have left you to bear such a heavy burden. Fang knows that if she was to be in Lightning's place, she'll rather not talk about those painful memories anymore, worried that recalling those memories will get her thinking about the things she could have enjoyed had they not left. Fang understands Lightning's difficulty in sharing about her past, but still, she is curious to know more about her friend's past.

"I haven't worn the necklace before that," Lightning continues. "But after they died… well, suddenly I understood what the necklace meant. At least, in my own way. All I remember is that, I was so aghast, furious and confused when they died. I didn't know what to do, I wasn't sure why I should bother living anymore, what with the dark future ahead… But when I looked at the pendant at that time, I suddenly knew what I want—and have— to live for."

"This pendant, huh?" Fang rises her eyebrows, reaching out to grab Lightning's necklace and pulls it towards her so she can take a better look at the pendant.

"Let go. You're hurting my neck," Lightning snaps, pushing Fang away when her face gets a little _too _close.

Fang pulls back, smirking. "Sorry, sorry. Continue, please. So, what does it mean? What was it you decided you want to live for?"

Lightning shrugs. "I just wanted to protect Serah, now that our parents are no more. I knew I couldn't die, because if I did, Serah wouldn't live either. She was too young; I can't simply leave her just because I can't deal with my grief and fear. I've lost everything I ever had in my life that day… all except Serah. So I swore, I'd do anything to protect her, the only family I have left in this world… the one person I love and care about more than anything…" Lightning pauses, glaring at the sky for a while. But then she lets her gaze drops back at Fang.

"I swore that I'd strike every danger away from her, even if I have to… fade away. That's when I remembered this necklace they've given me… Lightning. It sounds fitting with my resolve… so that was it. I became Lightning." Lightning smiles sadly, taking and staring at the pendant again.

However, Fang knows that's not it. She says nothing, she simply waits for Lightning to continue.

Lightning suddenly cracks a bitter, joyless smirk, letting go of the pendant which bounces back on its chain. She looks into Fang's eyes sadly.

"But y'see; as time passes, I realize that no matter how hard I try to protect Serah, there is always a part of me that hurts her. Like, even when I protected her from bullies while we were young, she'd get scared. She'd get scared after seeing me fight those bullies, she'd cry and cry. Because she was scared for my safety, scared of _me…_ I've hurt her."

Lightning sighs. "It just gets worse as we grow up. When I joined the GC, it was to get money to support our lives. I just wanted her life to be normal, I wanted her to be able to live the life her friends have… with a house of our own and stuff like that. But still, Serah suffered while I was gone for training, and afterwards, missions. Again, I hurt her." Lightning stares at the stars in silent resignation.

"And that was when I realize lightning doesn't protect… it only destroys. No matter how hard it tries to protect, in the act of destroying the enemies it may strike back at the very person it's trying to protect. Then it'll just… fade away… without protecting anyone." Lightning smiles bitterly, looking at Fang. "That's all there is to it."

Fang is silent for a while, contemplating what she's just heard. Finally, she speaks up.

"Well, believe in whatever you want, Light. But if you ask me, I'd say that despite lightning doesn't protect, _you_ still do."

Lightning stares at Fang for a while, rising her eyebrows as she remembers the similar thing Vanille has told her in the dark that night.

_Lightning doesn't protect… _

"_No, it doesn't… But _you _do."_

Lightning smirks. What a naïve belief. But if that's what Fang and Vanille believe, so be it.

"You're just like Vanille, aren't you?" Lightning asks, shaking her head in amusement.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I think I've heard Vanille saying something along that line too before."

Fang laughs. "Well, it's true after all."

Lightning shrugs. "Whatever… but anyway, thanks, Fang."

Fang grins. "No prob. Come to think of it, thank you too… for sharing with me. Now I can understand you better, yea, _Lightning_?"

Lightning groans. "So can I, _Fang._"

Lightning shakes her head as Fang laughs. But somehow, after telling the huntress about the reason behind her name, Fang's speaking out her name feels different. Like, there is more meaning in it… As if she's understood her better. Almost like Serah does.

And Fang feels that way too.

"Hey!" Lightning protests, startled, when Fang suddenly jumps towards her and leans her back against Lightning's. The huntress ignores her protest; instead she adjusts her position shamelessly to a more comfortable one, almost lying down on Lightning's back as if the soldier is a rock.

"Yep, way more comfortable this way," Fang says with a satisfied smirk, putting her lance down beside her. Lightning turns her head over her shoulder to glare at the Oerban huntress who is lying against her back, smiling lazily at her.

"What? I'm just a bit tired, Light. And your back looks warmer than these cold rocks," Fang says.

Lightning sighs, not in the mood to argue with Fang nor to waste her energy trying to shake the huntress off her back.

"Just make sure you don't fall asleep. I've had enough having people clinging to me these two days."

Fang laughs upon hearing this, folding her hands over her stomach as she feels Lightning's strong back against her own. She looks up at the stars silently. She can't really explain it, but after telling Light about her past and hearing Light's, she feels… closer to she soldier. Like, she understands her better now. Smirking secretly, Fang feels smug to be able to know something more about Lightning and her mysterious, distant attitude. See, the soldier doesn't even hit her for invading her personal space… Deep inside, she really is just a foolhardy softy, after all. For those she cares about, that is.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Summary<strong>__: Lightning, Fang and Vanille split up in the Sunleth Waterscape, since Vile Peaks are sealed within three electric gates by PSICOM. Lightning's grav-con units can get them pass the gates, but since one gate only allows one entrance (for maximum two people) per grav-con unit, so Fang decides to go alone while Vanille tags along with Light. Some troubles happen along the way, of course. But after two days, Fang, Vanille and Light reunite in the Vile Peaks. While Vanille sleeps, Fang and Light talk about their past. Fang tells Lightning about her childhood in Oerba and how she met Vanille. Afterwards, Lightning reluctantly tells Fang about her childhood, also the reason and meaning behind her name. _

_**A/N**__: I only write a glimpse of Lightning's past here, but in the later chapters I'll continue with writing about Lightning and Serah's entire past. Like how their lives were after their parents died, how Light joined the GC and things like that. Hope you won't get bored of it :P _


	31. Chapter 31

Sounds of laughter. Heavy footsteps on stone floor. Clang of metals…

My head shoots up, mouth opening automatically. I know those noises, I know what they mean… Despite part of me dread them, but for now my body's needs are more urgent. I find myself whimpering, wondering desperately why they take so long. I want them to come… the rumbling in my stomach has long turned into painful throbbing, and I want nothing else but to relief it at the moment.

Finally, there they are.

Three PSICOM guards enter my cell-limited field of vision, all smirking in a cruel joy. However, I pay little attention to their facial expressions. I've seen their mocking, laughing faces countless of times before. Right now, I'm only looking at the long pole one of them carries, a magnetized pole with a metal bowl attached to its end. At the sight of it, my stomach's rumbling goes even louder. Yes, that's how they feed us… by extending that bowl into our cells, without entering the cells themselves. It seems that they've been ordered not to touch us l'Cie at all, fearing any possibility that they might break our chains by chance and we'd be able to use magic again.

"Hey, l'Cie!" One of them shouts, rattling my cell bars threateningly.

I pay his aggressive behavior no heed. I know he won't even dare to step into my cell, how much more to hurt me. I can only try my best to keep my face stoic and emotionless in front of these scums… like _her._

"You hungry, dirty l'Cie? We bring you food! Here, eat up! Bon appetit!" As his comrades join his laughter, the soldier pushes the bowl closer to my face. Since my hands are still chained up, I have no choice but to throw aside all dignity, and plunge my face into the bowl, desperate to get as much food into my mouth as possible. I hold my breath, knowing that despite my hunger, the smell of the 'food' would make me lose my appetite shall I inhale it. Yeah, right. They don't give us l'Cie good food, of course not. Nope, they feed us things like moldy bread, half-rotten fruit or half-uncooked meat. Things that you hardly even give to dogs.

The first time they fed me, I was so disgusted by the food I didn't want to eat. I was also too dignified to start eating directly from a bowl like a dog, especially from a bowl offered to me by those scums. Doing so made me feel like I was completely at their mercy, that it was the biggest humiliation ever… That's why, I refused the food. I just clamped my mouth shut, refusing any food they push in my direction despite my hunger. However, as time passed, I knew I had no other choice. I was very hungry, my stomach throbbed continuously and my body loses energy to even stand straight. And when I can't stand straight, my body would sag, causing the damn shackles to cut deeper into my wrists.

And so, the third time it happened, I finally gave in. When the soldiers pushed the bowl across the bars, I immediately plunged my face into it and started eating, trying to ignore the pungent smell of the food and the roars of laughter that erupted immediately. I'd wondered, though… The soldiers rarely feed me; if they don't want to feed me every day then shouldn't they just let me starve to death?

But I've lately realized that they must have been ordered to keep us l'Cie alive. Alive, but suffering; hence the rarity of our 'feeding time.'

I can feel tears of anger and humiliation forming in my eyes as the soldiers' laughter and jeers grow louder as I drink from another bowl they offer me. They keep saying how much like a stray dog I look like… Eating and drinking directly from the plate they offer me, eating rotten food and drinking bitter water. But I just won't let my tears fall. No, I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing that. From the corner of my eyes, I see them making disgusted faces at me.

"Look at it. Disgusting creature… this place will be much cleaner without trash like it," one of them comments, wrinkling his nose as his friend pulls the empty bowl back out.

'It,' huh… What, I'm not even a 'her' anymore now? I'm an animal, a monster, is that what they are trying to imply?

"Hey, l'Cie! Answer this!" Another soldier shouts at me. "Does your kind know what fork and spoon are? Or do you all just kill, tear the carcass meat with your teeth and eat it whole like ghouls? Hmmm?"

"Your kind are disgusting killers! Coming here, disturbing peace and killing our citizens… All of you don't deserve to live, l'Cie!"

"You are all lower than humans, you don't even deserve this food, ghoul!"

I sigh, trying to block off their voices. Seriously, what have I personally done wrong to them? None. None of us has actually done anything to harm Cocoon citizens… we are trying to save them from the fal'Cie's malicious plot instead. So why must they treat us like this? Don't they feel anything?

I crack out a bitter smile. Then again, maybe not. In their eyes, I'm not even human. I'm just a monster, threatening to kill them if given the slightest chance. And they intend to torture this monster as much as possible, even if they can't even beat me up personally.

I peer up silently, and see one of the soldiers from the corner of my eyes. He is just a young man, a new recruit in this prison, seemingly. He has nothing special to attract attention, but the fact that he just stands there quietly without mocking me like his friends… made me notice him. He's been tagging along this group of soldiers who feed me, helping them carrying the pole and bowl. But he never jeers at me like his friends. He just stands there silently, his eyes darting around nervously and his legs twitching, as if he'd choose to be anywhere else besides here. Huh. So one of them at least have enough heart to feel uneasy upon this continuous harassing… but that doesn't mean anything to me, after all. Huffing, I block out the voices and begin drifting into sleep. I've never dreamed of anything else in my sleep, but at least those dreamless slumbers enable me to be at peace, however evanescent the peace is. I know that I'd wake up with a rumbling stomach, facing more hours of hunger until the soldiers feed me again. And even then, there'll be more mockeries and jeering. But… I still have some hope that one day _she _will come and get me home in her arms… and everything will be alright again. Because of that hope, I can at least try to endure the pain and humiliation.

And so, days pass by painfully slowly.

* * *

><p>That's it, I can't take it anymore. The exhaustion and hunger are seeping my energy continuously… the pain from my empty stomach and cut wrists are torturing, biting into me with painful, unstopping throbs. Worse still, the jailers' mockeries are getting worse and worse. Not only that, but they even start taunting me to beg for the food before giving it to me. I refused at the beginning, but then I remember my hope that Lightning might come anytime. So I have to stay alive… That's why I finally gave in. I begged the soldiers for the disgusting food, trying to ignore the laughter they roared.<p>

But I can't take it anymore now. My only hope… the only hope that keeps me going this far… is fading. Lightning never comes. I don't even know whether she's still alive or not. If she isn't… then wouldn't it be better for me to just die now, to break free from all this pain and humiliation?

I smile silently. Right now, dying doesn't sound too bad. It'd mean I can get rid from all this suffering… I wouldn't have to go through the soldiers' mockery and jeering anymore.

Yeah, that's what I want right now.

* * *

><p>"Sir, the female l'Cie has refused eating for a few days," one of the soldiers report to the prison's General. The General rises his eyebrow.<p>

"She's done it a few times before, hasn't she? Let her be, she'll eat again when she's almost starved to death."

The soldier fidgets nervously. "But sir… I think this time is different. She even refuses water."

"What?" The General taps his fingers angrily on his table. Not eating is one thing, but not drinking is something more serious. Humans die faster without water than without food, and the same logic should also apply for even l'Cie.

The General huffs in annoyance. "Really… Well, then force her to eat and drink! We can't let the l'Cie die, that's the order! Now go and do something to make her eat!" he barks his order angrily, sending the foot soldier hurrying out of his office.

* * *

><p>I grit my teeth, trying to stop the scream that I subconsciously utter. As soon as it begins, the attack stops and my body slumps down, my legs too weak to support me. I struggle to breathe, groaning when the remnants of the electricity crackles in my limbs. I really hate being hit by a Thunder spell…<p>

Right, the soldiers have used their Manadrive Thunder at me in their effort to force me to eat. Now they're at it again; shoving the bowl towards my face, shouting angrily, telling me to eat. I throw my face away from the bowl.

An angry shout, then another Manadrive Thunder hits me. I let out a pained cry, but I still refuse to eat. I don't care anymore. All I want is to get rid from all this suffering, and death is the only way to achieve it. I don't care even if they torture me, but I won't eat. I'll just let myself starve to death. I've been in so much pain after all, what's a few more torture mean?

The soldiers are getting desperate. I haven't been eating nor drinking for a while, and they fear that I may die anytime. Which is something they must have been ordered to avoid. Now they are no longer torturing me, instead they've begun giving me proper food instead of the rotten ones. They don't even jeer at me anymore. That's just how desperate they are to keep me alive.

But I've made my decision. I don't want to live anymore, I don't want to stay in this dark cell any longer. I've lost all hope after all; what's there to stay alive for?

From the corner of my half-closed eyes, I see that silent young soldier again, standing beside the other soldiers. I think I see his eyes emanating something akin to worry or guilt, but I can't be sure. My mind's too fogged with pain and exhaustion right now. Ignoring the soldiers, I close my eyes and sleep, despite my body still aches continuously.

_Seriously, why haven't I died already?_

* * *

><p>A soft creak of hinges turning. My eyes crack open slightly, confused. It's the last sound I'll expect to hear in this cell… When my eyes adjust to the darkness, I realize that it's sometime near dawn, judging from the greyish light shining into my cell through the window. But that doesn't explain the sound I just heard.<p>

Lifting my head, my eyes widen slightly in surprise when I see someone entering my cell. It must be one of the jailer soldiers; I can recognize his PSICOM uniform even in this dim light. I growl at him. What does he want? No soldier has dared entering this l'Cie cell, so why is he doing so now? Not like I can do anything to him, though, with these blasted chains and shackles binding my wrists.

However, I immediately recognize this soldier when he steps closer towards me and the dim light from outside hits his face.

He is that young soldier, the one who never joins his friend harassing me. I raise my eyebrows, puzzled. What does he want? Shouldn't he be afraid of me for whatever reason, like his friends? Has he been ordered to force-feed me? He seems to be carrying something in his hand…

I tense up, growling again when he steps closer. But he doesn't even look at my face, he keeps avoiding my glare. Instead, he walks closer and looks out the window, making me able to see the frightened expression in his face and the sweat of nervousness covering his forehead.

I begin preparing to fight in any way I can if he tries to force-feed me. I'll bite his wrists, I'll yank his nails out, anything.

But to my surprise, he doesn't approach me. Instead, he turns mid-course and walks towards the window, blocking the dim light. For a while, I can't see him clearly; I can only make out the outline of his body as he fumbles with something at the window. Then he turns around, spares me a quick, frightened glance, then walks briskly out of my cell and disappears; just as quickly as he came.

I frown, even more confused. What the heck did he come here from? He can't be coming here just to look outside the window for a few seconds, right?

My question is answered when the sun finally rises, shooting its golden rays directly into my cell through the window. The light enables me to see the object lying on the windowsill.

There, under the glimmering morning light, lies the purple blossom of a morning glory.

* * *

><p>I stare at the flower for a while, unable to believe my eyes. That soldier… he came here, obviously against his orders, just to put this flower on my windowsill. He's also placed it so thoughtfully, out of sight from outside my cell but can be clearly seen from my position. I stare at the flower for what feels like hours, marveling at the smoothness of its petals, the beautiful streaks of various shades of purple adorning it, the way it seems to glitter under the golden sunlight. All in all, the flower speaks of cheerfulness, of happiness and spirit of a new morning… of hope.<p>

Unconsciously, a smile spreads on my lips. _Morning glory…_

Seeing the flower reminds me of _her, _of the time when she gives me that bow. And my reason to fight.

My gaze sharpens. Yes, I have a reason to fight, to keep staying alive. If I die now, I will never be able to see that dream realized. And I realize how stupid I've been these days, how easily I've lost hope. I may not know for sure if Lightning is alive, but as long as there's still a chance of her surviving, then there is still hope that everything is gonna be alright. It is indeed not easy to rely on that uncertain future, but then again… now I remember an incident that happened in my childhood, at school with Lightning.

I can't remember the details, but I remember Light and I getting into trouble. It was nothing new for Lightning, she used to get into fights against bullies… but that particular time, I was there with her. I remembered feeling extremely frightened, upon seeing those huge-bodied bullies surrounding us, challenging Light for a fight. If I remember correctly, they wanted to exact revenge for their leader whom Light beat the previous few days…

I was about to cry, sure that Light would take the challenge and fight those three boys. I was so scared...

But that wasn't the case. Light didn't fight those bullies. Instead, she grabbed my arm and dragged me away from that place, ignoring the jeers and mockeries the bullies shouted at her. They called her a coward, a weakling. But Light didn't care. When I asked her, she reluctantly admitted that all she cared about at that time was to get me to safety first. She said she couldn't risk getting me involved in a fight and getting hurt. To keep me safe, she is willing to do anything.

And that was when I grew an utter respect and admiration towards Lightning. Despite her superior strength, but she is not like those 'tough, acting-macho' boys who have the stupid mindset and pride of 'never backing out from a fight.' Instead, she is willing to have her pride stomped on, getting harassed and humiliated, if that means she can keep those she cares about safe. To me, that is the real toughness, the real strength.

My smile widens when her voice echoes in my mind, clear and accurate. It was something she told me before, when I asked her privately about why she kept fighting Yojimbo despite that ghastly wound he's inflicted her.

"_Sometimes life can be extremely harsh, it makes you feel dying isn't so bad. True, dying's easy; it can free you from all your pain and suffering… It's also true that I have people worth dying for… But Serah, don't get me wrong. I do have people worth dying for… but also, _living_ for. For these people, I won't just choose the easy path of dying. For these people, I'm willing to keep living, no matter how hard or painful life is."_

I nod to myself. Lightning could've chosen the easy path and give up after our parents died, but she didn't. Instead, she chose the hard path, staying alive, pulling herself together, and working extremely hard to support the two of us. Alone, without ever complaining or asking for help. She lives on, despite the sufferings and hardships… for me. That's the real strength and courage right there. Not only courage to die, but also courage to live. True that death can be an easy escape, but that's no strength. The real strength is expressed when one is willing to face life's uncertainties and suffering, instead of just choosing death. Living for someone… if you think about it, sometimes it can be much harder than dying for someone. But that's what Light does. And since Light has striven so much to do it, so will I.

Taking a deep breath, I make up my mind. No more thinking of death. If there is one speck of hope that Light is still alive, then I'll cling to it… for her. She is the one person I'm willing to live for.

Glancing at the morning glory, I smile again and mutters, "Thank you…"

I know the soldier can't hear me, but I have to at least say it. I also know that the flower won't stay there forever, it would most probably be blown away by the wind soon… but still, I'm thankful, for this simple sympathy has led to giving me hope and resolution.

* * *

><p>Nothing has gone according to plan since Lightning, Fang and Vanille entered Palumpolum, after spending a few days getting through Gapra Whitewood.<p>

When the three of them arrived at Palumpolum that morning, they were somewhat worried that the citizens might still remember Lightning and Fang from the broadcasted incident at their first visit to Palumpolum. But luckily, the used-to-peace citizens seem to have completely forgotten (or maybe most of them have never even watched at all) about the broadcast. Thus, the three women can just saunter unnoticed right through town to the train station, only to find out that the train to Eden has malfunctioned and is unavailable until further notice.

Lightning was furious; the malfunction really disrupts their plan and slows them down, forcing them to rethink their plans. No matter what, Lightning wants to get to Eden on that day.

Fang sends Lightning's furious form a sidelong glance. Despite her usual emotionless expression, Fang knows that Lightning has been disturbed by nightmares lately. The soldier would wake up every night, uttering Serah's name. She'd flop herself back to the ground and force herself to fall asleep again, but Fang is still concerned. She must be dead-worried about her sister and the others…

_We've got to save the others quick. Not only for their sake, but for Lightning's too, _that's what Fang resolves silently to herself.

Suddenly, Lightning looks up. Fang rises her eyebrows questioningly, knowing that Light must have devised some kind of a plan.

"So, what's the plan?" the huntress asks, leaning against the wall of the small alley the trio is currently hiding in.

Lightning rolls her eyes exasperatedly. She answers, "I'm tired of stealth. It's time for us to drop some degree of this stealth and use more… proper-fugitives' techniques."

Fang grins. That sounds like an intro to a plan of her taste. Vanille, meanwhile, doesn't seem too convinced.

"Umm, but how are we going to do that, Light? Don't tell me you are planning to hijack the entire train station…" the redhead asks nervously.

"Close enough," Lightning replies to Vanille's horror.

"Uh… how so?"

"I'm not planning to hijack an entire station; I'm just planning to steal an airship."

This sentence of Lightning's brings an immediate silence.

Then Fang begins, "I'm not against your plan, Light, but how do we steal an airship? I've never seen any airship around."

Lightning smirks, nodding at the building directly in front their small alley. Fang's eyebrows rise again. Without them realizing it, they've been standing in front of Palumpolum PSICOM's airship hangar.

"I see…" Fang folds her arms, impressed. "This is quite convenient, really. But the problem is, how do we get in?" she asks, her eyes scrutinizing the outline of the hangar.

The hangar is a circular building, surrounded by thick metal walls with only one gate guarded by two PSICOM soldiers. The building doesn't have a roof, accommodating for easy take-off of the airships. However, in place for a roof, the building's top is still surrounded with a semi-transparent force field. It is the kind that lets things from inside get out, but prevents things from outside from entering. It looks impermeable enough from this side…

Lightning draws Fang and Vanille's attention by pointing at a spot on the building's top. There, a watchtower that seems to be hardly used protrudes from the building, near the front gate. It must be leading into the hangar.

"So we are going in that way?" Vanille asks, tiptoeing in her effort to see the watchtower more clearly.

"Yeah, but I think we need some ID chip to gain entry, since that door seems to be locked," Lightning answers, nodding at the watchtower. Now that she's mentioned it, the two Oerbans can make out the faint shape of a door on the watchtower's base.

"How can we get one?" Vanille wonders.

Fang chuckles upon hearing the question. "By stealing, of course. Proper fugitives, remember?"

Vanille giggles nervously. "So we're gonna have to steal it from those guards, then…" she says, eyeing the two guards flanking the hangar's front gate.

"Right. We need someone to pretend to get lost, ask those guards for direction and while they're distracted, steal the chip. I'm quite sure the chip is attached to their gloves' palms," Lightning says.

Fang purses her lips. "So we'll need someone who looks convincingly innocent, desperate for help yet able to cunningly snatch things," she remarks.

As if on cue, Fang and Lightning turn their heads on Vanille.

Vanille gapes at her two companions, but the message is clear. They want her to do this first part of their plan.

"All right, all right, I know! I am the one who has to do this, right?" Vanille sighs, rising her hands in defeat. Fang immediately smirks in satisfaction while Lightning shrugs.

"You're the most innocent-looking here, 'Nille," Fang says with a grin.

Silently, Vanille agrees. This kind of task is just so impossible to be carried out by a tall, wild-looking huntress with a cocky smirk plastered on her face. So it is for a scowling soldier with ice-cold glare who seems irked enough to kill anyone in sight.

Huffing, Vanille turns to look at the two guards and prepare herself for the act.

"Just remember to look innocently scared and give them your saddest puppy eyes, Vanille," Lightning says.

Fang smirks casually at her red-haired friend. "In short, kiddo, just act like your usual self."

Vanille giggles, giving Light a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, Sergeant, I won't fail this mission!" she chirps.

So as Fang and Lightning wait in the alley, Vanille stumbles out into the main road, her expression showing a perfect mixture of fear, confusion and panic. She looks left and right, clasping her hands together nervously. The PSICOM soldiers guarding the front gate immediately notice her.

"Hey, red-haired girl! What's wrong?" One of them calls out to Vanille. Vanille's face immediately reaches a higher level of fear, before turning to doubt and anxiety.

"Uh… I'm here for holiday, but I think I'm lost, I can't find my way back to the train station…" Vanille answers with perfectly-faked stutter.

Back in the alley, Fang is chuckling as she watches this. Vanille has always been a beautiful liar. Her ability to look so innocent even as she tells a lie is unparalleled. _Good girl. _

"Tourist, huh? Well, worry not, we can give you directions," the other guard says.

As if on cue, Vanille's smile spreads through her face, making her look so genuinely relieved and happy. "Oh, thank you, thank you sirs! I've been wandering aimlessly lately, trying to find my way back, but I just couldn't! I'm so lucky to have ended up here to meet you!" she squeals, starting to bounce on her heels.

Back in the alley, Fang is laughing soundlessly upon watching Vanille's successful drama. She nudges Lightning's ribs with her elbow.

"Vanille's good, yea?" the huntress asks proudly with a grin. Lightning just shrugs, but she seems to be impressed; Vanille does look very convincing in her change from a frightened, lost tourist to a relieved, elated girl who has finally found help.

Meanwhile, Vanille is listening intently to the directions explained to her by the guards. She nods her head attentively, asks questions politely, and at the end lets out a happy squeal before shaking both of the guards' hands in gratitude. After that, she waves at them cheerfully before heading for the station.

This is the cue for Lightning and Fang to start moving.

In no time, the three of them has assembled again in one of the nearby alleys, out of sight from anyone. Vanille is beaming triumphantly.

"Mission accomplished, Light! Look at what I've snatched!" The redhead says proudly, opening her hand to show an ID chip.

Lightning lets out a smirk, taking the chip. "Mission accomplished," she agrees.

Fang, meanwhile, is grabbing Vanille's waist and lifts her up to the air, looking extremely proud of her friend.

"Ha, Vanille, you're such a beautiful liar and thief! I'm so proud of you!" Fang laughs, spinning Vanille for one round before putting her down. Vanille giggles happily, giving Fang's arm a playful punch.

"It wasn't that hard, really. The chip is placed right on the palm of his glove, I could take it easily when we shook hands!" the redhead says cheerfully.

"But still, your acting is flawless! Any guard who saw you like that would surely offer their help. I mean, seriously, you really looked like a perfect damsel in distress!" Fang barks out another laughter.

"Hey! Is that an insult?" Vanille scowls.

"Nope, it's a compliment," Fang grins, ruffling Vanille's hair. "Even Light here has to admit you've got skills, yea, Light?" she asks, turning on Lightning.

The soldier huffs, rolling her eyes. But at the end she still answers, "Yeah. You're skillful and perfect for decoys like this, Vanille."

"Yay Fang, Lightning said I'm skillful!" Vanille says, looking elated after receiving that 'compliment' from Lightning.

"Told ya," Fang grins, high-fiving Vanille.

"Alright, enough pleasantries. We've got no time to waste; now let's climb up and infiltrate that watchtower," Lightning says sternly. Back to her military seriousness again.

Fang and Vanille immediately comply. Here in Cocoon, with unfamiliar infrastructures and weird mechanisms, Lightning's intelligence in making plans is really invaluable. And both Fang and Vanille know better than to disobey her in this kind of situation.

* * *

><p>Lightning, Fang and Vanille are standing on the watchtower, with the door opened a creak. Light has used the ID chip to open the door, and behind it, a ladder leads downwards. However, they've heard footsteps down there. There must be at least one guard taking patrol, so the next part of the plan is to take that guard out first. Lightning has also decided that the subsequent parts of their plan must be carried out with stealth. They are thieves, after all.<p>

The moment the footsteps indicate that the guard is directly below the ladder, Lightning swings the door open and jumps down without hesitation. Fang and Vanille immediately look down, ready to help Light should anything go wrong.

However, they don't have to worry. Just like Lightning predicted, there is only one guard patrolling down there. And he's been rendered unconscious now by Lightning's firm punch on his head.

Smirking, Fang jumps down as well, followed suit by Vanille. Lightning presses a finger against her lips, signaling them to be quiet as she drags the guard's body and hides him behind the ladder. Afterwards, the three 'thieves' assess their situation.

The trio are currently standing on a second-floor balcony that stretches around the inner perimeter of the circular building, and they can see some other guards positioned at regular intervals along it. Luckily, they are so far apart from each other that none realizes their infiltration. The middle part of the hangar is hollow, like a stadium, with sunlight streaming freely from the open roof. But instead of the running tracks or field, the space is filled with airships, of all shapes and sizes. Fang whistles softly as she observes all those airships. All of them shine proudly under the sun, basking in all their metallic glory. And they all look _fast. _Might be even faster than trains, too.

"Alright, how do we do this?" the huntress asks, drawing her lance out. Lightning is drawing her gunblade out too, as well as Vanille with her binding rod.

"We split up. Vanille, you take care of the balcony guards. Fang, you go down there with me and we'll split up to take out the soldiers guarding the airships. Remember, use stealth. I don't want any of us to be seen or any alarm to be raised," Lightning says. She turns to look at Fang sternly. "Especially you, Fang. As soon as you take out a soldier, if you think the body can be seen by the soldiers on the balcony, you hide that body."

Turning to Vanille, Lightning resumes her order. "Vanille, the same goes for you. Don't let the guards below notice the fallen bodies of the balcony guards."

"Un! Got it!" Vanille chirps, giving Lightning a salute.

Not amused, Lightning continues. "I'll give the signal when I've secured an airship and it's safe for us to gather back, clear?"

"Crystal clear, Sergeant," Fang answers, smirking lazily. "Sounds like a good plan, even though stealth isn't exactly my liking."

"I don't care whether you like it or not, Fang, the important thing is that you can do it," Lightning replies coldly. "Any question?" she turns on Vanille.

"Umm, are these the only soldiers in this whole building?" the redhead asks, gesturing at the balcony and the wide space for the airships beneath them.

"No, I'm sure there are other PSICOM personnel in the rooms below this balcony, the ones who take care about administrative and stuff. Don't worry too much about them, the ones that we need to take out are merely this lot," Lightning explains.

"Ooooh, okay then, that's good," Vanille giggles.

"Alright, if there's no other question, infiltrate!"

There goes the order. Without wasting any more time, Vanille dashes towards the closest soldier patrolling the balcony, while Fang and Lightning jump down onto the hangar before going in different directions.

* * *

><p>"Good night, babe."<p>

WHACK.

Thump.

There goes another soldier, whacked to unconsciousness by one easy smack of Fang's lance. Without wasting any more time, Fang grabs the soldier's leg and drags him away, hiding him under the airship he is guarding.

Smirking in satisfaction, the huntress ducks behind the airship before assessing the other two soldiers guarding the next airship in row. Really, this hangar is too organized it gets predictable. For every airship, two guards are assigned. And since each airship is quite far apart from each other, it's quite easy to take down the guards without being noticed.

Seeing a good chance, Fang dashes out from her hiding and whack the unsuspecting soldiers' heads with her lance, before repeating the hiding process. Really, this is getting boring. But Lightning has told her to use stealth, so Fang doesn't really have much choice. It's Cocoon now, so it'll just be wise to listen to Lightning.

Thinking bout Light… Fang looks around and listens intently. Other than the whirring of the airships machine, she hears nothing else. That'd mean Lightning is doing okay, too. No alarms been raised… So Vanille should be okay as well. Glancing at the balcony, Fang catches sight of a soldier falling to his knees before his body disappears behind a pillar. Smirking, Fang thinks about how convenient it must be for Vanille to take down the guards stealthily, what with her long-ranged weapon.

Argh, and isn't it about time Lightning gives the damn signal to gather? Fang is sure she's taken care of all the soldiers in her area. Vanille will be, too, soon. So what the hell is taking Light so long and —

CRACK!

Fang immediately looks up, right to see a lightning branch striking one of the airships in the western part of the hangar. Lightning, huh. Figures.

Smirking, Fang sprints towards the airship struck by the lightning.

* * *

><p>"Hop on, NOW!" Lightning shouts from within an airship, glaring at Fang and Vanille who are sprinting their way towards her.<p>

Meanwhile, the alarm has gone off; triggered by the earlier Thunder spell Lightning used as signal. However, since the three infiltrators have taken out every single guard in the balcony and field, no reaction takes place even as the alarm gets louder.

"Hello again, Light!" Vanille says cheerfully as she hops onto the airship.

"Nice signal!" Fang adds as she too, hops on. As soon as Fang enters the airship, the door closes behind her.

Lightning meanwhile, is already seated on the pilot's seat. "Shut up and get a seat!" she orders, glaring at her two companions. "The soldiers in the building will notice soon that the guards are all out and move out to attack us!"

True enough, Fang and Vanille can see a line of soldiers running towards them, weapons drawn, from the first-floor rooms. However, they aren't too worried; Lightning has already started the engine of the airship.

Without further ado, Fang and Vanille grab their seats. Fang behind Lightning, Vanille beside the huntress. By now, the airship has begun unfolding its wings and rising vertically into the air, Lightning's fingers pressing the control buttons with practiced speed.

"Where'd you learn to drive airships?" Fang asks, rising her eyebrows upon seeing Lightning handling the control so easily. She is thankful, though, since she and Vanille both know nothing about driving chunks of flying metal. They do know how to drive feral Wyverns, though.

"GC training," Lightning simply states, still concentrating on the control panel.

"Hohum," Fang nods. _Should've figured that out._

Suddenly a green light appears above the control panel, clear indication that the airship is ready to shoot forward into the sky. Lightning turns around to look at her companions, ignoring the bunch of soldiers who are getting nearer and nearer towards their airship.

"You guys better put your seatbelts on tight. I'm not Sazh, I don't care about speed limits. Besides, we are officially fugitives again now. Might as well act like proper ones and just blast through the sky in… _proper fugitives'_ speed," Lightning says sternly.

Vanille squeals upon hearing this, hurriedly putting on her seatbelt tight. She can't believe this; Sazh's driving is already very fast and scary, but Lightning is going to drive even faster? What kind of wild ride are they going to face soon? the redhead thinks nervously.

However, Fang is laughing out loud upon hearing Lightning's words. She's glanced at the control panel and read the name of the airship carved into it: The Strahl. Smirking, she says to Lightning, "Acting like proper fugitives, huh? More like criminals, Light. Especially after seeing you somehow choose _this_ airship for us. If I'm not wrong, this is the fastest airship around, yea? Heard this famous 'Strahl' name before, in the Cavalry."

Lightning smirks back, shrugging. "Well, I do like speed. I don't want to waste any more time… Besides, we wouldn't want to arrive at Zalera flying some rusty old airship, right? Nope, we'll arrive with some style."

Fang barks out another laughter as Lightning's left hand presses the main button, while her right hand yanks the speed control to maximum.

With that, the Strahl shoots into the sky like a loose cannon, zooming faster than any other airship they've ever used; leaving the hangar and soldiers far behind in mere seconds. Vanille screams in fear as the sky seems to crash into them through the front window, but Lightning knows what she's doing. She drives expertly, dodging obstacles easily even with the extremely high speed they are in. Really, her accuracy, concentration and reaction time is formidable.

Fang whoops, smirking in satisfaction as they shoot further and further into the sky, soon leaving Palumpolum far below them. The clouds past by quickly, insignificant white forms that their airship cut through easily without even experiencing any turbulence.

"I must admit, Light, you do have some taste in choosing rides!" Fang remarks, reaching forward to give Lightning's shoulder a playful punch. Lightning turns her head on Fang, frowning.

"I just want to reach Zalera as fast as possible," the soldier shrugs. Fang chuckles, while Vanille is still clutching her seat tightly. She is still afraid of the crazy speed they are currently in; although she trusts Lightning's skills and knows that she'll never get them into harm, but still… the speed is making her feeling a little lightheaded. Lightning really does make airships go zoom in maximum speed, without hesitation.

And so, the three fugitives make their way towards Zalera, ready to tear the prison down to save their family.

* * *

><p><em>AN: The Strahl is an airship from Final Fantasy XII. It means 'beam of light'_


	32. Chapter 32

"There it is, Zalera."

Lightning, Fang and Vanille are crouching on top of a secluded stone hill, looking down at Zalera below them. The prison is made entirely of black slabs of rock, making it look completely impenetrable. It is huge; one can even technically call it a fortress. Since the dark night has fallen, the trio can barely figure out the overall structure of the building. They can see its frontal part is more or less rectangular, but they can also make out the outline of a bigger structure behind the frontal part. There is only one gate into the prison, but it is very heavily guarded. And not only the gate, quite a number of guards can be seen making their patrol round the entire prison. Doubtlessly, the entire prison is full of PSICOM soldiers, like a big, black ant hill.

Vanille tears her eyes away from the looming prison before her to look up at the night sky; where dark, thick clouds are racing across, obscuring the full moon from view. The wind blows strongly, battering them with its cold assault. It seems like a downpour is going to hit soon… some droplets of rain have even dropped onto them. Luckily the downpour hasn't hit them when they were still flying in the Strahl.

From Palumpolum, Lightning has driven the Strahl right into Eden, flying past the shiny, metallized town; across the wide rocky plains that form the outskirts of Eden; until finally they arrive in this secluded rock hill next to Zalera. The prison is the only building in Eden made of stone; other infrastructures are basically made up of metal, glass, and other modern materials.

To Vanille and Fang's pleasant surprise, it turns out that the Strahl has a special button to render it invisible when parked. So now the airship is floating right above them, unseen, ready to be used again for their escape later. They've left Fafnir inside the airship, so as not to hinder their fighting. And now the trio only have to figure out their strategy to break into Zalera.

_Serah is in there._

_Serah is in there, along with the others. Chained, tortured… by these people._

…_I'll tear this whole place down along with all of them._

Lightning's mind is unusually in a jumble; she can hardly think clearly as adrenaline rushes within her, urging her to just move in for the kill. Her heart is beating rapidly; her muscles screaming at her, demanding her to use them, to unleash all the power within them for the sole purpose of destroying.

Lightning's held her fury back long enough; she's controlled herself long enough all this time not to crush every PSICOM soldier on sight. And after all she's gone through, she's finally standing here. Serah is finally within her reach… if she hasn't been killed, that is.

At this thought, Lightning's fists clench and a soft growl escapes her lips. For a moment, all she feels is a fury so deep, it's almost burning. She wants to do nothing else but to just strike with all her strength, slashing all those PSICOM soldiers, seeing the people who have tortured her sister squirm before her blade. She'll cut them all to pieces, slash her way to Serah, destroy the entire prison to smithereens if needed…

Lightning shuts her eyes, trying to calm her mind. Despite all her fury, Lightning is experienced enough to know that she can't win this battle with brute force. She needs strategy, and strategy needs a level head and calm mind. So she has to shut off her emotions for now, focusing only in her ultimate goal: to save Serah and the others. Once they are safe, she can go berserk all she wants. Lightning takes a deep breath, struggling to re-organize her jumbled mind.

Silently, Fang is stealing a sidelong glance at Lightning. It troubles her, the look in Lightning's eyes as she observes Zalera and the guards. Her eyes are looking more like that of a beast's: feral, furious, yearning for bloodshed. It's just so different from Lightning's usual calm, cool demeanor. And although her current mien is hundred-percent justifiable, considering what she's been through, it is still disturbing to see her like this. So… uncontrolled.

Fang understands how Lightning must be feeling though; if Vanille is the one being imprisoned, Fang would have more or less gone berserk. Luckily, Lightning is strong enough to control her emotions and remain composed, judging from the way she is taking deep breaths and shutting her eyes in an attempt to calm herself. For now, at least. They've been lucky that Lightning hasn't totally lost it, that she can remain calm so far and come up with her shrewd strategies. But no one knows what they will face inside the prison. Fang is sure that Lightning is already at the border of her limits; one wrong provocation and she may totally lose it.

But for now, Light is doing fine. Fang just decides to keep an eye on her, in case she really loses it in there. Wouldn't want her to do anything stupid or foolhardy… Still, Fang kinda agrees with Lightning's state of mind, though. She also wants to just break into Zalera with brute force, to hell with complicated strategy and stealth.

"Aww, there are so many guards…" suddenly Vanille says, drawing both Lightning and Fang back to their current problem. How to get into the prison.

"If they have this many outside, does it mean they have even more inside?" Vanille asks again, fidgeting nervously as she watches the row of soldiers marching around the prison.

"Well, I think they are focusing their defense too much on the outside. If we manage to get in, I don't think we'll encounter as many as this," Lightning replies.

"But we can't even get in… if we can't sneak past these guards—"

"—Then we'll break through the wall."

Vanille's jaw drops when she looks at her two companions, who have said that last sentence together in terrifying synchronization. They even turned their heads on Vanille at the same time. Fang with her usual cocky smirk, Lightning with her usual stoic face. But doubtlessly, they are serious with what they have just said. Geez, these two… even the way they think are alike and completely in sync now?! Vanille is speechless, she can only continue gaping at Fang and Lightning. Their plan's crazy! How are they going to bring down a wall that thick? And how can they talk about something as scary as that with such calm expressions?

"But, guys!" Vanille protests, finally finding her voice back. "That wall is so thick! How are we going to break something like that? You two'll be okay, what with your almost inhumane strength, but I'm just normal human here!"

Lightning blinks. "Normal? You can use magic."

Vanille waves her hand dismissively. "Well, maybe not entirely normal; but that's not the point! My point is, how are we going to muster such brute strength to break through the wall?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lightning asks exasperatedly. "We won't do it directly, not us."

"Huh?"

"We'll use our darling Eidolons, Vanille," Fang explains, smirking.

And that's when the plan doesn't sound so impossible anymore.

That's right, how could Vanille forget that they have their last resort? The divine beings that will offer their aid in times of peril and despair… the Eidolons.

"Oh…" Vanille hums, beginning to get the gist of the plan.

"Right, so here's what we're gonna do," Lightning says. Fang and Vanille immediately listen carefully, knowing that this will be their final plan.

"You two will use Bahamut to fly right to the prison. With his silent wings and dark body in this night environment, I'm sure he won't be noticed. Fly straight to the wall, then slam Bahamut to break through it, somewhere high enough so those guards won't be able to chase after you two. I'm sure Bahamut will disappear after breaking that wall though; he would've used almost his entire strength to do it. The falling rubbles will surely damage him, too… And that's when you do your part, Vanille," Lightning turns to face Vanille.

"…Right at the moment of impact, you will have to call Hecatoncheir to protect you two from the rubble. Tell him to lift up the rubbles and block the main gate from inside, so those guards outside won't be able to get in and attack you two."

"But wouldn't there be guards inside as well?" Fang asks. "I'm sure the first room from the gate will have almost as many guards as the first line of defense outside, Light."

Lightning shrugs. "Right. That's where Hecatoncheir will be invaluable. After you two break into the room, I'm sure you will be quite winded after the impact; there is no way you can fight those inner guards immediately. So just lie low under Hecatoncheir's protection, I'll move in with Odin ASAP to help you take care of the guards in that room."

Fang nods, satisfied. It is a good plan; and it certainly sounds fun. Unleashing power without restrain to destroy a stone wall… Never tried that before. Bahamut will enjoy himself.

"But Vanille, the success of this plan will certainly depends on you," Lightning says, turning to face Vanille again. The redhead looks surprised when she hears this, before her expression changes to one of nervousness.

"Uh, how come?"

"Because you can't afford to lose your concentration up there. You have to call Hecatoncheir right at the moment of impact, do it too late and you and Fang will be crushed as well. So, don't let your concentration waver." Upon seeing Vanille's frightened expression, Lightning's gaze softens. "Don't worry. I'm sure you can do it, Vanille. I believe you have terrific concentration and reaction time, otherwise you won't be such a good Medic, right? You'll be fine."

Vanille smiles weakly at this. She is still kinda terrified upon the thought of being responsible to her and Fang's life, as well as indirectly the others'; but if Lightning says she can do it… then it means she can. Lightning won't ask her to do this if she isn't sure it'll work, after all. So now she just has to swallow her nervousness and do her job right.

"Oh, right, one more thing," Lightning says. "Inside, we'll face a long fight. I don't want us to waste Potions or magic to heal minor injuries. So if anyone gets minor cuts or bruises, just hold the pain and keep fighting, understand? Only heal if the injury is serious or hinders your fighting."

"No problem," Fang answers indifferently.

However, Vanille doesn't seem too comfortable with that last part of strategy. She fidgets nervously; she has never liked seeing injuries ignored and untreated…

Seeing Vanille's distress, Lightning huffs. "Look, I know we'll face a long and hard fight soon. But just remember, if we do this right, by morning we'll all be reunited again. I've planned where we are going to escape to, and if we pull it off, we'll be safe and sound by the morning. So can we give it our best shots?"

"You bet we will!" Fang whoops enthusiastically, jumping to her feet. Vanille smiles, rising to her feet as well. The prospect of finally having everything alright by this morning is really encouraging… especially after all the long days and hard efforts they've spent to reach this point. No turning back now.

Lightning rises too, nodding in satisfaction as she sees the determination in her companions' faces. "Alright, that's all. Ready to do this?"

"I was born ready," Fang says cockily, smirking as she throws her crystal upwards and slashes it with her lance.

Immediately, Bahamut swoops down from the dark sky, his dark-purple body blending perfectly with the night. He stops right in front of the precipice where Fang is standing, hovering before his battle partner faithfully. His red claws clench and unclench in anticipation of the fight ahead, glistening under the gentle rain that is beginning to fall and intensify.

"Yo there, handsome." Fang approaches Bahamut, instructing him about their plan and what he is supposed to do.

Meanwhile, Vanille rethinks the plan. It does sound manageable to carry out. She only has to fly out there with Fang, call Hecatoncheir right at the required moment, and then leave her and Fang's protection to Hecaton, who she is positive can do the task well. After that, Lightning will catch up…

Suddenly Vanille feels somewhat worried. Will Light be okay? She'll be alone… What if the guards outside attack her? What if the entire wall collapses on her? What if…

"Don't worry, it'll be fine."

Vanille's head shoots up when she hears that voice of Lightning's. The soldier is looking at her, seemingly able to accurately guess what she's thinking.

However, before Vanille can answer, Fang already drags her onto Bahamut, saying "See ya soon, then, Light!"

Vanille stumbles and quickly grabs a grip on Bahamut's back, knowing how important it is to hang on tight considering Bahamut's flying speed. Fang settles beside her, not even bothering to get a grip as she shouts, "Fly!"

And that's it. Fang and Vanille shoot forward through the rain on Bahamut's back. The last thing Vanille sees of Lightning is her face, calm and focused even as the rain swallows her away from sight.

_Serah… I'm coming. Just hang on a little longer._

"Hey, Vanille, get ready! I don't want to get crushed like an insect, okay!"

"Shut up, Fang! You're making me even more nervous!" Vanille replies, scowling angrily at Fang who simply smirks back at her. They've flown high in the sky with Bahamut past the first row of patrolling guards without being noticed, right like what Lightning predicted. The rain that's starting to get much heavier is also an advantage to conceal their approach. As soon as they hit the wall, though, Vanille is sure the whole prison will notice them.

"Here comes!"

Vanille concentrates fully on their progress, Bahamut flying closer and closer to the looming dark wall of Zalera. The wind slaps Vanille's face mercilessly, making her eyes water; but she forces them open, glaring at the incoming stone wall. The stone seems even thicker from this close, but no turning back now. Ten more meters…

Five…

Three…

"Hecatoncheir!"

WHAM!

One moment it was completely calm save for the raindrops and howling winds, the next moment chaos strikes. Bahamut's huge, strong body crashes right into Zalera's wall high above the ground; successfully digging into it aided with the amount of force provided by his bulk and his high flying speed. Rubbles immediately fall without restraint, some even hitting the guards patrolling outside. But most of them hit Bahamut, depleting his strength quickly.

However, on Bahamut's back, Hecatoncheir has materialized; protecting Vanille and Fang from the rubbles with his many arms.

Alarms wail, guards shout orders, guns shot. However, it is too late to stop Bahamut; he's got the advantage of the element of surprise and speed.

Unstoppably, the four assaulters break through the wall into Zalera itself, falling onto the stone floor inside. As soon as they make it through, Bahamut's strength runs out and he roars proudly over his finished task, before disappearing.

Meanwhile, Vanille, Fang and Hecatoncheir are tumbling to the floor, the momentum from the crash sending them rolling painfully for a few meters. Finally, Vanille and Fang stop tumbling; now lying on their backs on the stone floor, panting.

From her position, Vanille notices the room they have broken into. The room is extremely vast, she can barely see the single door leading to the inner chambers at the far end of the room. But then, a loud clang drives her attention towards the rear. That's when Vanille notices the front gate is located directly behind her. And now the gate is beginning to open, from outside. Panic hits Vanille when she realizes what it means. Without further ado, she shouts her order, "Hecaton, block the entrance!"

Hecatoncheir immediately complies. He swiftly rises to his feet, then uses his numerous hands to grab big slabs of rubbles and throws them straight to the gate.

With multiple resounding booms, the gate is sealed securely by the heavy rubbles. Shouts of surprise and anger resonate from outside, but Fang and Vanille know there is nothing those guards can do. The only gate is now sealed, and the hole that they've made in the wall is too high to be reached by those guards if they cannot fly.

But then, reality sinks. Fang glances around and growls angrily as she sees the ranks of guards streaming into the room from the inner chambers, their weapons drawn. Fang grabs her lance, but immediately the nausea and dull pain from the impact from crashing through that damn wall hits her. She knows Vanille must be in the same condition as her. Light's prediction is correct; there is no way they can fight immediately like this.

Sensing the danger, Hecatoncheir immediately jumps to protect Vanille and Fang. He enters Gestalt mode, protecting them under his body from the bullets the guards are sending them.

"This is bad!" Vanille shouts, now unable to move under Hecatoncheir's protective form. Not that she wants to move, though; she would most likely be immediately shredded by those bullets if Hecaton isn't here.

"Whoa!" Vanille squeals as Hecatoncheir stumbles, the gun shots starting to weaken him. "Hang in there, Hecaton…!"

But to Vanille's surprise, suddenly Fang laughs. "What…?"

"Here comes the storm!" Fang whoops, smirking ferociously.

Vanille looks up when she hears that familiar, mighty neigh of a steed.

_Odin!_

Right then, Lightning and Odin jumps in through the hole in the wall, their forms framed by the heavy droplets of the downpour outside. It must really be storming out there; the sky is completely dark and a branch of lightning suddenly cuts through it, illuminating Odin's silver body and the few rose petals dancing in the air around him. Him, and his rider, who's holding an expression of fury and wielding the deadly-looking Zantetsuken in her hands.

Fang's last remark is proved correct when Lightning releases her Wrath of Heavens, made even more destructive now that it is imbued with Odin's power.

BOOM!

Under the powerful spell, the guards stand no chance. The barrage of shooting immediately stops, replaced by screams of pain as almost half of the guards gets wiped out by Lightning's attack. The rest are standing, stunned, half-blinded by the flash.

Without wasting any second, Odin gallops right past Vanille, Fang and Hecatoncheir; Lightning swinging Zantetsuken mercilessly from his back. Every slash she makes brings down four to five soldiers at once, while Odin uses his Thunder spells to bring out those who try to shoot his master from afar.

"Make 'em squirm, Light!" Fang shouts in fierce happiness, jumping to her feet as Hecatoncheir moves away; his protection no longer needed. Lightning is practically getting all the attacks from the guards now. Vanille stands up as well, the nausea after the fall has disappeared by now. She pats Hecaton in gratitude before her Eidolon disappears.

Seeing Vanille ready, Fang nods at her friend and the two of them dashes in to help Lightning and Odin. Fang immediately starts jabbing and whacking around with her lance, Vanille strangling and whipping the soldiers with her binding rod. As Lightning sees them joining her, she gives them a quick nod of gratitude before turning her attention back at the guards assaulting her. More guards stream into the room like water from a broken jug.

Despite all the initial attacks Lightning, Fang and Vanille have inflicted, but more guards are coming from the next room, their number compensating for those who have fallen. And more.

"Stop swarming!" Fang growls angrily, sending a Ruinga into the guards' midst. It hits some, but the others managed to dodge the attack. The vastness of the room gives the guards plenty of space to dodge attacks. Alarms wail; guards dash into the room in response. They immediately assume their battle ranks, but the three l'Cie's spells destroy their order almost immediately. Thundaga, Ruinga, Blizzaga… Pandemonium breaks, there is no more order among the guards. Soon they realize the futility of their attempt to form ranks, and begin attacking blindly, relying on the strength of their number. Since more guards keep coming into the room, their numbers are increasing at a worrying rate. Soon they form some sort of a wall between the three intruders and the gateway leading to the inner chambers.

Meanwhile, Fang has jabbed the last few guards from the initial wave. As she looks up furiously at the wall of guards standing a few meters away from her, blocking her path, Fang gets really annoyed. "No point huddling here without moving forward!" she shouts at her two companions. Without waiting for answer, Fang charges right into the wall of guards, releasing her Highwind into their midst. Lightning follows suit, heading Odin towards the center of the wall of guards; he gallops forward with his battle partner spinning Zantetsuken in her hands.

Before she knows it, Vanille's been left alone at the sideline of the battle, her two companions having dived directly into the core of the fight. However, it doesn't make much a difference; a moment later all the guards attack simultaneously. Not only at Fang and Lightning (whom Vanille can't even see anymore now in this mess) but also at Vanille. Now, she faces guards in every direction she turns to. All the guards are wearing the same black uniform; as adrenaline rushes into Vanille, she barely recognizes them as people. They look more like a pack of monsters from Gran Pulse to her; monsters ready to shred her to pieces at any chance.

Yelling angrily when one of the guards swipes his baton at her, Vanille retaliates by swiping her binding rod wildly at the guards, hitting them with the hooked wires and sending them tumbling onto their comrades. And then that's it, the full-blown fight ensues.

In between attacking with her binding rod, Vanille casts strings of Firaga and Aeroga too. Instead of being completely surrounded on all sides by the guards, Vanille has managed to keep her back relatively safe. The side wall of the room is currently at her back, thus protecting her blind spot. This isn't a very big advantage, but one she appreciates nonetheless. Vanille continues attacking, glancing nervously from one spot to another in her effort to locate Fang or Lightning. The two of them had practically dived into the sea of guards, and Vanille is starting to worry about them. Unlike her, who has the wall protecting her back, those two are holding their own in the midst of these hundreds of guards. How long can they keep up doing that?

_I've gotta help._

Making her decision, Vanille dashes forward, leaving what little safety she has there at the sideline of the battle. She follows her companions and dives straight into the core of the battle, determined to help in whatever way she can.

However, soon Vanille realizes just how crazy it is to be right in the core of the fight. Guards are attacking her left and right, giving her no chance to pause, no chance to move back. All she can do is keep attacking, casting her magic continuously. But no matter how many guards she's taken down, more take their places. And Vanille's casting speed is getting slower as she gets more and more tired. Meanwhile, the current of guards have pushed her towards the center of the room, away from the walls; giving her no chance to get back to safety. Worse still, she can't see either Fang or Lightning. She's alone.

"Stay away!" Vanille shouts, swiping blindly with her rod. Two guards fall under her attack. More coming.

"Ungh!" Vanille sends them a Dazega, stopping them at their place. She follows it with a chain of Blizzara that takes all of those Dazed guards down with pained cries.

Vanille frowns, fear beginning to grip her heart as she turns around and see nothing else but enemies. Guns pointed at her, Manadrive magic shot at her direction… Luckily Vanille manages to either dodge those attacks or use her strong Protect and Shell to block them off. But she knows she can barely keep up. If this continues much longer… Vanille is sure she will be taken down.

Fear fueling her, Vanille leaps forward to face a group of guards with batons who are assaulting her. She whips her binding rod in one circular motion, drawing screams of pain as the hooks on its wires cut through flesh. The group of guards falls down before her.

Vanille smiles a little in satisfaction. Finally, a brief lull in the fight… However, her smile disappears when she realizes she has extended her binding rod's wires too far. Vanille quickly pulls the rod back, trying to retrieve the wires before the other enemies get to her.

But it's too late. Two fresh groups of guards are attacking her, one from the front and another from the left; their batons raised high ready to clobber her. Flicking her glance desperately to locate any escape route, Vanille manages to find one. She quickly pulls her binding rod and runs desperately to her right, away from the assaulting guards. There are just too many of them for her to take down all by herself, especially in such close distance! Vanille's always been a long-ranged fighter. She isn't as good with close combats.

Turning her head over her shoulder, Vanille lets out a squeal as she sees how close the guards are. She struggles to run faster, forcing her legs to move faster. However, another group of guards have joined the first two in charging at her.

Vanille lets out a cry of desperation.

_Vanille._

Lightning looks up when she hears that familiar cry. From her place on Odin's back, she looms much taller than the enemies, giving her a better vantage point of the battlefield. She bashes another guard's head with Zantetsuken's hilt, before allowing her eyes to scan through the sea of guards, looking for a particular redhead.

There.

Lightning's scowl deepens as she finally locates Vanille. The little redhead is dashing with all her might, trying to outrun three groups of guards charging at her. She sends occasional wild spells over her shoulders, succeeding in taking down a few guards but not many. At this rate, they are going to get her soon.

Lightning growls angrily, swiftly changing Odin's direction to the groups of guards assaulting Vanille.

_Cowards… only daring to attack in numbers! _

Vanille is running frantically now. She knows her legs are going to give out soon, already has she felt them trembling. She's managed to put some distance between her and the assaulters, but still… she just can't afford to stop. Vanille glances backward, and that action proves life-saving.

Vanille has glanced back right when the only guard in the groups with a gun shoots at her.

Yelping, Vanille quickly jumps out of the way. However, the bullet turns out to contain a small explosive; although it does not hit Vanille, but it hits the ground near her feet and explodes. The explosion isn't too big, yet it manages to throw Vanille off her feet and sends her falling forward.

"Ouch!" Vanille cries out as her body slams to the ground.

_Oh no, I've gotta move! _the redhead thinks in fear as she struggles to climb back up to her feet. But then, her knees throb and she slams back to the ground with a yelp.

_Okay, I'm so dead now._

"Vanille, grab my hand!"

Vanille's head shoots up when she hears that familiar voice. Right in front, Odin is galloping towards her. He is clamping one of Zantetsuken's blades in his mouth, swinging his head around to cut his way through. On his back, Lightning is holding the other Zantetsuken in her left hand; her right hand is extended towards Vanille.

Knowing she only has this one chance to get out from this sticky situation, Vanille acts swiftly. Right as Odin gallops past her, she grabs Lightning's extended arm, holding on tight to the soldier's strong forearm. At the same time, Lightning's grip tightens around Vanille's forearm and she pulls the redhead entirely off the ground, before swinging her backwards to bestride Odin behind her.

"Hang on tight!" Lightning shouts as Odin throws his Zantetsuken blade back to her. She catches it effortlessly in her right hand, and now that she is fully armed again, she drives Odin forward into the groups of enemies.

Vanille quickly wraps her arms around Lightning's waist as Odin leaps forward. As relieved as she is for being saved, but she is still extremely scared about riding Odin. The mighty steed moves too fast and he has a tendency to ram right into the enemies, sending vibrations of the impact through Vanille, causing her teeth to clatter.

But at least Lightning is here with her. Vanille scoots as close as she can to Lightning, holding on to her waist for dear life as Odin practically leaps around to avoid the barrage of bullets he received from the groups of guards. Vanille can feel Lightning's toned abdominal muscles flex and contract under her hands as the soldier swings Zantetsuken around, every slash heralding the fall of at least three guards. Then suddenly Odin's Thundaga explodes right beside them, causing Vanille to shout in surprise and bury her face in Lightning's back. Lightning doesn't seem to be affected though; she continues attacking without even cringing at the sound.

"Block this!"

Suddenly Vanille hears that voice. She lifts her face up, right to see a guard aiming at them with his bazooka.

"Light, look out!" Vanille shouts her warning.

Lightning barely has time to react when the bazooka shoots, but luckily Odin reacts fast enough.

Neighing furiously, the steed kicks his front legs up, blocking the explosion. Lightning is used to this and manages to keep her balance on Odin's back effortlessly, but Vanille squeals in surprise and almost falls off Odin has he remained standing on his hind legs for a second longer. Luckily the equine Eidolon drops back to his four legs and gallops forward, trampling the attacking guard with his thunderous hooves.

Now that Vanille has some time to breathe, she finally realizes that the number of guards has dwindled considerably. She can even see Fang somewhere further down the room, near the door. She is releasing her Blitz attacks left and right, taking down guards with each swipe of her crimson lance. Only a few straggling guards left…

"Time to end this."

Vanille has barely any time to react before Lightning suddenly stands up on Odin's back, maintaining her balance perfectly despite her galloping steed. Then she jumps off Odin, resembling a bird of prey as she crosses the wing-like Zantetsuken blades behind her.

"Out of my way!"

With that angry shout, Lightning slashes Zantetsuken at its full length. The long, sharp blades cut through the surrounding enemies easily, taking them down in one strike.

Meanwhile, Vanille is holding on desperately to Odin's back as the thunder steed rams straight into a cluster of guards, electricity sparking off his body and electrocuting the guards.

Then she hears that familiar whoop. Looking up, Vanille sees Fang has just dispatched the last group of guards surrounding her with a powerful Highwind. Lightning, too, is slashing at the last group around her. But suddenly, Vanille realizes that Lightning hasn't noticed five other guards approaching her with their swords drawn. Bunch of cowards; they purposefully wait until Lightning's back is turned before they charge at her.

"Oh no, you don't!" Vanille shouts angrily. Forgetting for a moment that she is still on Odin's back, she sends her most powerful Blizzaga right into the guards' midst. The ice pierces through them, initiating screams of pain, stopping them right in their track before they even managed to reach Lightning.

As Vanille turns her gaze back to Lightning, she sees the soldier is wiping off the last few guards. No other guard is standing in the room by now; these are really the last ones. However, Vanille's eyebrows rise as she sees Lightning slashing Zantetsuken around in an all-too-familiar manner. She is jumping around the guards swiftly, slashing Zantetsuken in the air, forming a deadly razor-like gale around the guards. Flourish of Steel... Odin's special technique in his human form. Vanille can only gape as she watches Lightning pulling the technique off so perfectly, she can almost see a phantom of Odin in Lightning's movements. Rose petals scatter in every slash the blades inflicted to their target, swirling in the air current caused by Zantetsuken's powerful, air-cutting slashes. Vanille shudders as she imagines how it feels like to be trapped within such a deadly attack.

Then that's it. The guards succumb under Lightning's blades, falling to the ground. Lightning turns around as Odin throttles to her side, Vanille still clutching his back anxiously.

"Sorry I left you so suddenly," Lightning murmurs as she extends her hand to help Vanille down from Odin.

"It's okay, Light, there's nothing you should be sorry about! I should be the one thanking you, for pulling me up back then!" Vanille quickly replies cheerfully, glad that the battle is over. The redhead accepts the extended hand gratefully, relieved that she doesn't have to somersault off Odin's back like how she often sees Lightning do it. Really, Odin is huge! His back is almost at the same height as Vanille's head. Holding on to Lightning's hand, Vanille slides off Odin's back, tumbling a little as her feet hit the ground. Lightning grabs her shoulder to steady her almost immediately.

Fang, meanwhile, has reached her two companions. She immediately gives Lightning's back a slap.

"Heya, Light, nice move! Didn't know ya can pull off Flourish of Steel too!"

Lightning simply huffs, rolling her eyes at Fang. "It's a useful technique," she merely states before handing Zantetsuken over to Odin. "Well done," she says to her steed of an Eidolon. Odin stomps his hooves proudly, bowing his large head to reply Lightning; before taking Zantetsuken in his mouth and leaps to the sky, disappearing in a scatter of rose petals.

"Well, Light, next thing we'll see is you galloping beside Odin on all fours." There goes Fang's comment again. Vanille can't help but giggle.

Lightning frowns at Fang, muttering a 'Shut up' before turning her gaze to the gateway leading to the next room.

"This place's strange, yea? Like it can't decide whether to be modern or ancient," Fang suddenly comments, following Lightning's gaze. She gestures with her lance at the stone walls strengthened by occasional shiny metal pillar. From outside, Zalera looks like a building made entirely of black rock; but inside, they actually find that many of its structures are actually made up of modern materials like these metal pillars. A mixture of technology and ancient strength…

"Know any explanation?" Fang asks, turning her head on Lightning, who merely shrugs.

"I've heard before… that Zalera is the only remnant of the early residents of Cocoon. Before technology takes over, Cocoon used to be like Gran Pulse; structures were made up of stones and wood. But after the modern technology age takes over, all the olden days' buildings are destroyed and our current metallized structures were erected. All except Zalera."

"Oh? Why?" Vanille asks, interested.

"I'm not sure bout the details, but I've heard that Zalera's been named after a legend of a Death Seraph with the same name. The Seraph is believed to have rebelled against his Makers, kidnapping a female shamaness as hostage. Even after he is said to be defeated, he clutches the shamaness in his arm, never letting her go… The idea of a prison that clutches on to the prisoners without letting go appealed to the Sanctum, so they keep this prison as it is. This prison was built to resemble Zalera the death Seraph, after all, hence the black stone walls."

"Interesting," Fang comments, observing the stone wall. "But really, I never knew Cocoon people can also get influenced by legends."

Lightning shrugs. "Well then, shall we? I'm sure they are holding the l'Cie in the deepest cells, so we'd better start moving."

"Okay," Fang agrees, starting to walk briskly towards the gateway with Lightning, ignoring the bodies of fallen guards littering the floor. Vanille, meanwhile, looks somewhat worried.

"What is it,'Nille?" Fang asks, realizing Vanille's discomfort.

"Uh, nothing… Just worried that there may be even more guards in the next room…?"

Fang lets out a bark of laughter. Lightning turns to Vanille and says, "Don't worry, I'm quite sure there aren't guards in the next few rooms, Vanille."

"Why are you so sure?" Vanille asks, puzzled.

Fang grins. "Because we've made such a grand entrance that all the alarms rang and all those guards got attracted to us, kiddo. Trust me, I'm sure we've just wiped off half of Zalera's inner guards. I mean, just look at the number of those scums attacking us!"

Lightning lets out a small smirk, nodding. "Yeah. And we've pretty much wiped all of 'em, so it's quite safe to assume that we can saunter right through the next few rooms without encountering any guard. Deeper in this place, though, I'm sure more guards are waiting; those who are assigned to guard the inner part of this prison... But still, I'm sure there aren't as many as this. PSICOM always focuses their defense or offence at the front line."

"Whoa, I see!" Vanille says, smiling. True, what her companions have said make sense. "Good to know we can relax for a while!"

"Stay sharp, though. There might be traps they set around here," Lightning says, before turning her gaze to the gateway and dashes towards it. Fang follows suit, Vanille tailing her.

As soon as they run pass the gateway, they find themselves at the end of a long corridor. The two sides of it are riddled with doors leading to other rooms, so numerous that Vanille gives up counting them halfway. She simply runs past them, following Fang and Lightning who do not give the slightest damn about the doors. They know that those doors lead to guards' quarter, and they have no business with those guards any more. They have all been trashed in that first room, after all.

Vanille frowns as she watches the strange bluish glow illuminating the black corridor. She can't find its source, and this disturbs her. She's never seen anything on Gran Pulse that looks like this. Must be some of those Cocoon high-tech lamps…

Vanille keeps running, trying to ignore the eerie glow of the source-less light. The only positive thing about this corridor is that it is straight. Vanille can let her mind wanders around as she runs, following Fang and Light. She wonders, though, how far more do they have to keep running? How far more can they go without meeting any guards? Surely they will pass the frontal part of Zalera soon, and they'll meet the central guards… then it'll be another fight… then it'll continue like that until they find the prisoners. Thinking of that, why haven't they met any prisoner? They've only met guards so far…

"Ouch!"

Vanille lets out a small cry as she bumps onto Fang's back, who has suddenly stopped running right at the end of the corridor. Rubbing her head, Vanille asks, "Why are we stopping?"

"Shhh, Vanille, listen! Can you hear anything strange?" Fang asks back, tilting her head in an effort to listen intently.

"Eh? No, I don't think so… Why?" Vanille replies, confused.

Fang shrugs and just gestures at Lightning with her thumb. The soldier has stopped as well, listening intently. "Light here said she heard something. I can't hear a thing, though."

"How was the sound like, Light?" Vanille asks, turning to face Lightning.

"I'm not sure… I think it sounds like a howl. A long howl, resonating from somewhere deeper in this place."

Vanille gapes at Lightning. "Don't… don't tell me there is some… lost soul here? Zalera the Death Seraph and that shamaness hostage are just a legend, r-right?"

Lightning rolls her eyes at Vanille. "They are just a legend, Vanille. Come on, I don't hear any sound anymore. Might've imagined things… so let's just move on."

Fang shrugs, placing her hand on Vanille's shoulder and continues running into the next room. The room is empty as well, but it is filled with various weapons. Must be some kind of arsenal, although a small one at that. Anyway, they keep running past the room and right into the next corridor. It is there that they begin hearing the sound, just like Lightning has described.

Howling. Long, desperate howling, resonating from further down the corridor from the room it leads to.

"What… what is that…?" Vanille asks, feeling a shiver going down her spine as another piercing howl tears the silence of the dark corridor. She clutches Fang's arm, staring at the corridor before them. Those howls, they certainly don't sound human. So what can they be…?

"I… don't know," Lightning replies. She looks more wary, and Vanille can see that tell-tale ready-to-fight sign in her tensing muscles.

"Can it be some kind of monster the PSICOM set here to guard their prison?" Fang asks, tensing up as well.

"Maybe… Whatever it is, we can't stop now," Lightning says, shaking her head and drawing her gunblade out. The eerie blue glow of the corridor makes the sharp edge glitter as Lightning changes it to its blade form. Fang nods in agreement, drawing her lance out. Vanille takes her binding rod as well, although she is still somewhat reluctant to charge right into that howling-filled room. But they have no choice; there is no other path leading out from this room.

"On your toes!" Lightning says as she dashes towards the room. Fang and Vanille follow suit behind her, muscles tensed in anticipation of ambush. They run right down the corridor, trying to ignore the increased volume of the howling. They try associating that howl to monsters, racking their brain trying to figure out what monster makes such howl. Megistethorian? Adamantoise? Cie'th? However, their guesses do not prepare them for what they actually encounter in the howling room the moment they set foot in it.

"This is…"

Lightning, Fang and Vanille have stepped right into the prisoners' cells. It is a dark, long room with cells riddling the two walls on its sides. Inside each cell are tens of prisoners, and the howling comes from them. People that no longer look like humans; dirty, skinny, hollowed-eyed and snarling. They are the most dangerous criminals on Cocoon, arrested and are left to die slowly in this prison without sunlight. They don't seem alive anymore. They look more like walking corpses, deprived of life and freedom, demons in hell without any purpose in this world anymore.

And the moment these demons see Lightning, Fang and Vanille entering, their howls increase tenfold and all of them rush towards the bars of their cells, flailing their arms, trying to grab hold of the intruders.

"Makers…" Vanille can only gape at the horrendous scene before her, her eyes staring wide at the skeletal faces of the prisoners, at their ever-grimacing faces. Unconsciously, she clutches Fang's arm tightly. These people… look more like ghosts than humans. Their shrill howls, their lifeless gaze, their wildly flailing arms. Then that's when Vanille realizes that they'd have to run past this room in order to continue searching for the others. Surely PSICOM won't keep the l'Cie in a common cell like this… But…

Vanille gulps as she sees how narrow the walkway between the cells is. It is so narrow that only one person can walk through it at a time. Worse still, the prisoners' flailing arms would surely grab them should they walk down this corridor. Such close contact with these ghouls creeps Vanille out, and she can see her two companions look reluctant to dash past the room as well.

"Is there… no other way?" Fang asks Lightning hesitantly. Lightning simply shakes her head without taking her gaze off the howling, smirking prisoners.

"Well, that'd mean we have to just continue this way," Fang says casually. However, Vanille can hear the faint reluctance in her voice. "Come on, we'd better not waste time."

"Right…" Lightning answers. She glances at Vanille, who seems pretty terrified by the prospect of having to walk through this hellish midst. She sighs.

"Hey, Fang. Take the rear, will you? I'll take point."

"Gotcha," Fang replies immediately. She nods in gratitude secretly at Lightning, knowing that Lightning's intention is to let Vanille walk in the middle. It's subtle, but maybe it can make the redhead feel better. Even Fang has to admit that she doesn't enjoy walking past a row of crazy, howling living-dead with just bars separating them. Especially when those living-dead are trying to strangle her neck with their flailing arms as she runs past. Fang grabs her lance tighter.

"Let's move."

With that, Lightning takes point and charges straight into the prisoners' midst. Immediately the howling rises, the prisoners' flailing arms trying desperately to get hold of Lightning. They grab her arms, but she shakes them off immediately. The same thing happens to Vanille, and Fang. Vanille is trying her best not to scream as she feels those cold, corpse-like fingers snapping around her wrist, trying to pull her towards their owner. She yanks her hand away, continue running, but another set of fingers clutch her ankle. Desperate, Vanille slams her other foot onto that hand, squirming free when the hand recoils. She doesn't even dare to look at the prisoners, their hollow eyes, their snarling mouths, their grimace of hate and resentment.

Things get worse after that. Lightning, Fang and Vanille have managed to run halfway past the row of cells, but the prisoners are getting more insane. Their hands now form claws, the long fingernails scraping against the l'Cie's skin as they force their way through. Every time they yank free from a prisoner's hold, another takes his place; making their progress through the corridor slow.

Finally, Lightning and Fang's patience runs off. With a frustrated growl of her own, Lightning slashes her gunblade, drawing blood as it cuts the prisoners' hands and wrists. Pained howls contribute to the array, made louder as Fang too follows Lightning's example and whacks those flailing hands away with her lance. Vanille, meanwhile, is nearing her edge; she is scared of this place, she is scared of the ghoul-like prisoners, she just wants to get outta there as soon as possible. So she just runs, tailing Lightning closely, reaching her hand out to hold on to Lightning's overcoat. Despite she is practically slashing her blade blindly right now, but the soldier seems to somehow recognize Vanille's touch and she doesn't yank herself off Vanille's grip. She lets the redhead clutch to her, all while slashing her way through. By now, most of the prisoners have recoiled grudgingly, but those more-lunatic ones still insist on blocking the l'Cie's path.

However, to the l'Cie's relief, finally they make it through the rows of cells. They run right into the next room, before stopping, panting.

"Whew," Fang says. "It was pretty crazy back there."

Vanille is trembling, still terrified as the howls continue following them. Fang quickly hugs her, whispering soothing words to her friend. "There, there. It's over, yea? We're doing fine." To Lightning, she asks, "How can those prisoners become so ghoulish like that? How long have they been here, anyway?"

Lightning shrugs, looking grim. "Years. They are the most dangerous criminals of Cocoon; those who live only to harm others. The Sanctum orders PSICOM to lock them down here, and they are left to rot… You've seen by yourself how lifeless those bunch have become."

Fang sighs. "Well, I'm glad that's over. I just hope we don't encounter such thing again."

Lightning gives her a bitter smile. "I'm sure those cells already comprise the entire Zalera's prisoners. We've gotten quite deep into this place; I'm sure we only have a few more rooms to go before we reach the deepest part. The rooms ahead are likely to be guarded, though."

Fang lets out a bark of laughter. "I prefer facing guards then lunatics, Light. So no problem," she says, ruffling Vanille's hair. "Hey, 'Nille, you okay? Don't worry, we are not gonna encounter such things again."

Vanille nods weakly, slowly releasing Fang's arm that she's been clutching. Now that they've passed that room, her determination returns. If they have come this deep, surely there isn't much longer way to go to find the others… Her gaze strengthens and she looks up at her two companions.

"I'm okay, let's continue now…"

Lightning nods in satisfaction and turns around, dashing towards the next room with Fang. Vanille follows suit.

However, right at the instance when they are about to enter the next room, Lightning suddenly feels the sharp, unpleasant sensation that she always gets whenever a danger is imminent.

"Stop!" Lightning throws her arms sideways, stopping Fang and Vanille who almost ran past her into the next room.

"What?" Fang asks, rubbing her shoulder that crashed right onto Lightning's.

Lightning doesn't answer. Instead, she just stands there silently, staring into the dark room before them. It is so dark that she can't see a thing, but soon her eyes adjust and she can make out shapes in the darkness. And so can Fang and Vanille. What they see inside the room makes them feel so grateful that whatever instinct Lightning has had kicked in right before they barge into the room.

Spikes.

Countless spikes as thick as Adamantoise's tusks fill the room's floor, which is sunken around three meters below the corridor. Had the three l'Cie not stopped, they would've run right into this room, lost their footing and fallen right to be impaled by the spikes. Even the walls of this room are adorned with spikes; there is no way they can cross this room by scaling the wall.

"Why does this place seem so set on getting in our way?!" Fang growls angrily as she stares at the spiked floor. No way to walk through it, no way to scale the wall.

"Well, the positive side of this trap is that it actually proves we are getting closer to the others," Lightning hums. "They wouldn't bother setting this trap if there is nothing they need to cage in, right?"

"Yeah, right. How grateful I am to encounter this trap. Lady Luck, I offer you my deepest gratitude for presenting us with this fine checkpoint," Fang replies sarcastically, still looking annoyed with the trap.

Lightning rolls her eyes, dropping to one knee and peers at the spikes below.

"Nevertheless, we'll have to get across…" she mutters, looking up at the next corridor lying a few meters away from them, across the spikes-filled depression. "Jumping across is out of the option, though," she announces, standing back up again. True, the distance between them and the next corridor is too far. "Any suggestion?" she turns on her two companions.

To Lightning's puzzlement, Fang grins. "Yeah, I have one," the huntress says.

"Let's hear it, then," Lightning says, rising her eyebrows at Fang expectantly.

"Well, Light, you said jumping isn't possible. I agree, but that only applies if you try jumping by yourself. I'd say we can actually jump across… if given certain _propulsion."_

Lightning stares at Fang for a while. Then a smirk spreads on her face, and she nods. "Nice suggestion."

"…Would you guys stop reading each other's mind and tell me already!" Vanille suddenly snaps, mildly surprising Fang and Lightning. But really, the redhead's getting pissed off by these two. They are such perfect battle partners that they can always guess each other's thoughts in this kind of situation. But Vanille here is just a humble Medic/Saboteur, hello!

Fang chuckles upon seeing Vanille's pouting face. "There, there, kiddo, don't get so worked up, yea? We're gonna tell you the plan now, no worries. Don't feel… left out! Ha!"

Vanille still pouts, folding her arms. "Okay, so what's the plan?" she asks. Knowing that the plan is coming from Fang, the redhead feels somewhat insecure. Fang seldom comes up with plans that are neither excessively-aggressive nor stupidly hardcore. But Lightning has agreed immediately to her yet-spoken plan, so maybe it is a good plan?

"We'll throw you across with our Launch, 'Nille!"

_Okay, maybe not._

Huffing, Vanille unfolds her arms. "Okay, let's do it."

Fang blinks. "Hmm? No protest?"

Vanille lets out a small laughter bordering on hysteria. "Nope, I'm getting used to your plans."

Fang laughs too, giving Vanille's shoulder a playful punch. "Don't worry, kid, the plan will work. Light agreed, right?"

Vanille just smiles back at Fang. "Yeah… but, do you mind telling me the reason on why we have to rely on all this Launch-ing business?"

It's Lightning who explains the plan to Vanille. "Tell me, Vanille, what do you do when you want to climb a wall but it turns out to be too high? You have Fang beside you to help, though."

Vanille shrugs. "Well, I'll ask Fang to lift me up so I can reach the top of the wall and—oh."

Lightning smirks. "Get it, now?"

"Yeah…" Vanille answers. Lightning's right, this spiked chasm is just the same as the wall; in order to reach the next corridor, she needs someone to propel her. But…

"But how will you and Fang get across, then? There'll be no one to propel you two…" Vanille asks.

"Well, try thinking of the wall again. What will you do next, once you've reached its top?"

Vanille's smile spreads. "I'll help Fang! I'll pull her up!" She gets it now. All she needs to do is getting Launch-ed onto the next corridor. Then Lightning and Fang can simply jump across. It wouldn't be a problem if they cannot reach the corridor; Vanille will use her binding rod to catch them midair and pull them to the safety of the corridor. That's it. Rough plan, but it will work nonetheless.

"Un! Okay then, shall we?" Vanille asks, taking three steps backwards. Lightning and Fang immediately positioned themselves on each side of the opening to the chasm.

"Ready when you are!" Fang says, grinning as she positions her lance slanting downwards, crossed with Lightning's gunblade. Vanille eyes the two weapons warily, but she knows Lightning and Fang will be using the back of their blades for the Launch so as not to hurt her. She trusts them; they are so skillful with their weapons that Vanille is sure nothing bad can happen to her. They'll pull this off.

"Okay… here goes!"

With that, Vanille dashes forward, leaping right onto Lightning and Fang's crossed weapons. She can feel the two blades underneath her feet grit against each other under her weight, their wielders' arms tensing as the muscles work to Launch her.

And then that's it, Vanille feels the blades being swung simultaneously, propelling her forward into the chasm. She shoots right across, seeing a glimpse of the spikes all around her. But none pierces her; Lightning and Fang have propelled her right through the center of the chasm, well away from the deadly spikes. Vanille feels the damp wind brushing her face, before she reaches the corridor on the other side of the chasm.

"Oof!" Vanille grunts as she throws her hands in front of her, cushioning her fall. Her inertia sends her skidding across the stone floor, and she can feel her arms getting scraped and bruised. But it's nothing serious; as soon as she stops, Vanille quickly climbs back to her feet and turns around. Fang and Lightning are staring back at her from the other side.

"You okay, 'Nille? Not hurt?" Fang shouts across.

"Nope, I'm fine!" Vanille replies, waving her arms to show that she is really okay. "Come now, I'll catch you two!"

Fang laughs, strapping her lance onto her back. "Alright, your turn to help me across, now!"

With that, the huntress takes a few steps backwards, before dashing towards the chasm. Right on its edge, she kicks the floor beneath her hard, jumping as far as she can. She shoots across the chasm, well past the front row of spikes. However, Fang's leap only manages to bring her halfway through the chasm before she begins falling, the spikes ready to impale her.

Vanille won't allow that, though.

With a flick of her wrist, the redhead swings her binding rod, sending the wires straight towards Fang. They wrap the huntress right around her torso, tightening securely. The moment Vanille feels the familiar strain, she quickly yanks her binding rod towards her.

"Come here, Fang…!"

With Vanille's help, Fang is pulled clearly off the spikes. She lands safely on a crouching position, tumbles forward like Vanille did, then immediately stands back up. As Vanille pulls the wires off her, she ruffles Vanille's hair.

"Whoots, good job, 'Nille! Although I must say your binding rod hurts!" Fang says, rubbing her bruised ribs where the binding rod's wire has tightened.

"Sorry, can't help it! Better than being impaled, right?" Vanille giggles. Fang just replies her with a smirk, before turning around to wave at Lightning on the other side.

"Hey, Light, come on! Use yer thunder thighs and jump as far as you can, yea?" Fang yells, grinning tauntingly as she watches Lightning holstering her gunblade and prepares to jump.

"Here she comes…"

Lightning dashes towards the chasm, jumping right on its edge like Fang. However, she doesn't simply jump like the huntress; instead she somersaults over the spikes.

Her somersault brings her further than Fang; and the moment Vanille releases her binding rod wires, Lightning extends her right arm and lets the wires wrap around it. With that, she lets Vanille pull her to the safety of the corridor.

The moment Lightning's body hit the floor, she immediately rolls forward to prevent her inertia from sending her skidding across the floor. Then she quickly stands back up, uncoiling the wires from around her arm. "Good job, Vanille," she says as the redhead retrieves her binding rod's wires.

Vanille smiles. "Thanks! The same for you and Fang! Great job Launch-ing me!" she replies. Who knows Launch can be so useful? All this time, Vanille only sees the technique as useful since it enables them to launch Staggered enemies high to the air, preventing them from attacking back. Now it turns out that Launch can be used on allies, too.

"No one's hurt, right?" Lightning asks.

"A few bruises, but nothing serious," Fang answers. "Ha, we've just got one more score for us and zero for Zalera! This prison's trap is nothing!" Fang says enthusiastically, slamming her fists together. "I think we are doing well, yea? We haven't even met any other guard… Shall we move on now?"

"Right, let's move," Lightning replies, dashing alongside Fang and Vanille down the corridor. The air is damper here, they must be getting really deep into this ancient fortress. They have not seen any window around, but it's not like they can see anything much. Night is still reigning, and the raging storm outside will prevent them from seeing anything even if there are windows. So the three intruders just keep running without looking left or right, focusing only in their goal forward.

They run right into the next room, finding it to be a large room that is a tad darker than the corridor. No lamps in there; everything's dark save for the light seeping into the room from the corridor they've come in from. And also from the next corridor on the other side of the room. Other than that, the room seems empty.

"Nothing here?" Fang asks, stopping as she enters the room. Lightning and Vanille stop beside her, too, trying to see inside the dark room. "If there is nothing here, good; let's just run straight into that next corri—"

That's when the hissing reverberates through the room, coming from right above the trio's heads.

Vanille gulps. Slowly, she looks upwards, afraid to see what might have caused that hissing. What she sees isn't pretty.

"Oh, damn!" Fang curses. A few meters above them, is a _gigantic_ spider the size of a wardrobe, dark green in color. It is hanging off the high ceiling on its gray thread, its numerous eyes all glitter red as it hisses again. This time, they can even see its thick, sharp fangs.

"Cocoon seriously needs some strong bug sprays!" Fang growls, drawing her lance out in preparation to fight. However, she is surprised when Lightning grabs her arm and drags her away, along with Vanille. Seeing its preys fleeing, the giant spider hisses louder and descents onto the floor, chasing the three of them with its eight furry limbs. As it scurries across the floor, greyish threads spill out of its spinneret, luminous against the dark floor.

"Hey, Light! What are you doing?! Let's cut that oversized bug to pieces!" Fang protests, trying to break Lightning's grip on her arm. Why must they run? They can surely win against that monster!

"No! We are not gonna waste our time fighting every single monster PSICOM sends us!" Lightning growls back. "Remember what we came here for! We are not here to sweep this place clean off its monsters, we are here to save the others! We don't know what obstacles still lie before us; we can't afford to waste our energy fighting when we can avoid it. So, run!"

_Damn all those PSICOM… where the hell are they keeping Serah?!_

Fang doesn't argue anymore, she knows Lightning's right. She runs faster, and Lightning releases her grip on her arm. They can still hear the hiss and numerous tapping sounds made by the spider's eight limbs as it chases them, but they know they are faster.

Vanille glances backwards, and immediately regrets her decision. The scenery behind her is terrifying; the giant spider is scurrying after them, its abnormally large fangs dripping with venom. Vanille just doesn't want to think about what might happen to her if those eight furry limbs catch her. Maybe they are clawed and will rip her to pieces. Maybe they will just hold her down while the spider bites her, killing her with its venom. Or maybe…

"Ugh!" Vanille gives herself a small slap as she tries to get rid of those horrendous imaginations. She's never liked bugs, how much more spiders. How much more a gigantic, murderous green spider.

Forcing herself to run faster, Vanille dashes forward. Lightning and Fang are running beside her, and Vanille feels kinda proud that she can keep up with her two companions. Maybe she should thank Lightning for that; that time spent training with the soldier at Atzilut's Tear when she was recuperating must have really paid off. Although Vanille must still admit how tiring that was…

But for now, they must focus on outrunning the monster.

"Just a little more!" Vanille shouts, seeing the distance between them and the next room decreasing. She runs faster, right towards the room…

"Wait!"

Lightning grabs Vanille's shoulder to stop her from barging right into the room, but not before one of the redhead's feet steps into it. Lightning quickly pulls her friend away from the room, and her action is proved wise. The moment Vanille's foot step on the room's floor, a giant axe almost as big as a watchtower swings down, right in front of her nose. Has Lightning not pulled her away, Vanille would've been chopped right into two.

"Another booby trap?!" Fang shouts angrily, glaring at the giant axe swinging before them, blocking their path. She turns her head around and growls as she sees the spider starting to catch up with them. The moment it sees them stopping, its eight limbs scurry faster.

"Hey, Light! This is bad! Axe or spider?!" Fang asks, one of her hand already on her lance.

"Axe!"

"Wait, what…?"

Fang has no time to hesitate. Lightning pushed her forward, and Fang finds herself dashing along her two companions towards the shining sharp axe.

"Whoa!" Fang yells as the axe swings right in front of her face. However, Lightning must have calculated this; the moment the axe swings upwards, she urges her two companions forward. And before they knew it, they've passed the axe; its blade swinging harmlessly behind them now. A furious hissing resonates from the previous room, the spider not having the speed and guts to run past the swinging axe like the three intruders. In the intervals of the swinging axe, they can see the spider crouching before the axe, its numerous eyes shining furiously as it watched its out-of-reach preys.

Vanille, meanwhile, is still astonished by how they've somehow tackled two obstacles in such a short time. Whew, Lightning has acted so fast that they did not even have the time to think! But thanks to her quick response and judgment, they have managed to outrun the spider and passed the axe. Vanille shudders as she thinks of what might have happened has she doubted Lightning and hesitated on running past the axe just now; probably she would've been cut clean into half by that giant blade.

"Nice… quick-thinking, Light," Fang says, wheezing after their frantic sprint. "And I was getting ready to fight that creature…"

Lightning, who is slightly out of breath as well, answers. "I told you, I don't want to waste time on that stupid bug. Besides, I've done similar training on GC before… running past swinging wooden blocks… Although none was as big as that axe, of course."

Fang chuckles. "The principle's still the same, yea? After all, we made it."

"We made it," Lightning agrees.

"Lady Luck on our side, I guess," Vanille adds.

Another furious hissing sound echoes from behind them, from the giant spider. Fang rises her eyebrows. "Better start running before that bug finds the guts to get past the axe, yea?"

Lightning and Vanille do not need further prompting. The three of them quickly dash away from the axe and the spider, Fang leading. They've seen a glimpse of the next room; it is well-lit and spacious. It is almost as vast as the first room where they fought the guards, and Fang is quite sure there is no booby trap there. There may be guards though… but she isn't scared of guards. Bring it on!

With that, the three intruders sprint into the room.

And that's when the guardian of the room appears.

One moment Fang is running into the room. The next moment, suddenly a big man in PSICOM uniform appears out of nowhere in front of them; his deep-set, black eyes flash murderously.

"What the—"

Fang hasn't got any time to react; she only managed to raise her lance a little. But it wasn't her who got targeted.

"Ahk… guh!"

Before Fang or Vanille can do anything, the foreign man has punched Lightning, hard, right in her solar plexus. The blow is so powerful it drives Lightning backwards, slamming her right to the wall.

_Damn… it…. _

Pain explodes in Lightning's stomach, causing her to double over in pain. However, her assaulter won't let her do even that. Without removing his right fist from Lightning's stomach, the man grabs her neck with his left hand and slams her head back to the wall, strangling her against it. Lightning groans, her hands clutching her assaulter's forearm, trying to break his grip on her throat. However, the man's extremely strong; his grip doesn't even budge. If possible, it even tightens, cutting Lightning's air supply almost completely.

"Lightning!" Vanille calls out, her eyes widening in terror at the sight.

Fang can't believe this. One moment they were running together. The next moment Lightning is pinned to the wall by her solar plexus and neck, struggling for air. Fang winces in shared agony, knowing how painful a blow to the solar plexus is. This man… he purposefully punched Lightning there, to inflict as much pain as possible, incapacitating Lightning with agony. _Scum…_

Roaring angrily, Fang rushes in to help along with Vanille, their weapons drawn. Fang is extremely furious; she's so going to tear this man into shreds for what he's done!

But right then, the man turns his head on the two Oerbans. With his deep, gruff voice he shouts, "Don't move!" and without waiting for response, he mercilessly punches Lightning's solar plexus again.

"You…!"

Fang can only stare as Lightning's body jerks in pain, having received the full-force of the blow without being able to defend herself. The man is still strangling her, his eyes glaring sternly at Fang and Vanille. He says nothing else, but the message is clear: _Don't move, or I'll punch her insides out._

Fang grits her teeth angrily, stopping in her track as she watches the man.

_Dammit… this is bad…_

Now Fang notices the man's shoulder pads, with two blue lines on each one. She's seen something similar like those before, worn by Raines. That means this man is the General of the prison... and he must be a martial art master; Fang can see metal plates attached to his knees, elbows and even his boots. That way he can inflict heavy damage every time he attacks, no matter which limb he chooses to use. Plus, he is wearing brass knuckles on his fists; the right set is currently digging into Lightning's flesh, drawing pained grunts from the soldier.

_This can't be happening_, Vanille thinks, her eyes staring wide in fear at the big man. This person has actually escaped the detection of Lightning's sharp senses, which have previously managed to detect that hidden axe. Moreover, he's beat her flash-like reflexes and managed to punch her that hard. She knows this man is a General, she knows he must be very strong to achieve that position, but still… she's never dreamed that Lightning will be the first one to be taken out.

That's when the General speaks again. Now that Vanille can get a better look of him, she can see the man's crew-cut dark hair and its sideburns. Coupled with his deep-set eyes and muscled bulk, he looks much like a Cie'th. A bloodthirsty, merciless killer.

"Time for you to give up, l'Cie. You infiltrated this place and took down my guards. You have to pay for that… Normally I would've killed you right on the spot, but my orders were to capture you all. So, will you comply?" he asks, his fist keeps pressing Lightning and strangling her.

Lightning has become so pale by now, struggling to breathe, her eyes shut in pain. Vanille whimpers at the sight, and Fang growls angrily, "Release her…!"

However, even though Fang hasn't moved, those simple words of defiance are enough for the General to take action.

"You don't have much choice, you know, dirty l'Cie."

Without remorse, the General removes his right fist from Lightning's stomach before yanking her head forward, making her tumble towards him. But he doesn't let Lightning fall to the ground, nothing that merciful. Instead, taking advantage from her fall to increase the strength of his blow, he slams his knee into Lightning's solar plexus again.

"Urgh…!"

The blow is insanely powerful; Lightning lets out a strangled gag, her body immediately doubles over in pain; blood spurting out from her mouth.

"STOP IT!" Fang roars angrily. "She can't even move, so stop clobbering her, you coward!"

"Well, it was your own choice, l'Cie."

_Son of a…_

"Alright, fine!" Fang growls furiously. She can't see other choice. Every one wrong move of hers can cause Lightning to be injured, killed even. This man isn't General for nothing; his cruelty and sheer power are proof of that. Fang tightens her grip on her lance for a second, but finally drops it grudgingly.

Vanille immediately follows, unable to see Lightning being tortured even more. Lightning has saved her countless of times before; but now she can't even do anything to help her when she is obviously in pain. Vanille will do anything, anything to stop the General from hurting Lightning further; even if she has to surrender to him.

But… does this mean the end of their journey? The General will arrest them next, throw them into cells, most probably separated from each other. And Lightning's injured; if she's left untreated, she might die! Vanille shudders at the thought, desperation filling her mind. And how about… the others…? Are all of them done for? Just… like this?

The General smirks in cruel satisfaction, grabbing Lightning's neck again and pin her against the wall. Lightning doesn't resist anymore; her body slumps limply, blood flowing out between her lips and onto the General's hand that is wrapped around her throat. She is trembling uncontrollably, her face wincing with intense pain. It is sheer agony; the pain is throbbing continuously from her damaged solar plexus and spreads all over her body. It takes all of Lightning's strength to stop herself from blacking out.

_I can't stop now… Not now, when we've gone so far… Serah…_

Meanwhile, the General is scoffing at Fang and Vanille. "Hmph, wise choice. Y'see, l'Cie, Zalera is impenetrable. Although I must compliment your ability to reach this far, but you're done for. Ha! Ironic, isn't it, knowing that you are just one room away from your other l'Cie friends…?"

While those words completely stun Fang and Vanille, they have clearly stirred some impact within Lightning. Her limp hand twitches as she registers those words in her hazy, pain-fogged mind.

_Serah's just one room away._

That thought awakens something inside Lightning, something wild and furious. Serah's right ahead, and this man is the only one standing in her path! The mixture of pain, desperation and faint hope suddenly gives Lightning feral energy; one similar to that possessed by cornered beasts in their last burst of fury.

_No way am I surrendering without fighting back._

If there is one thing Lightning despises, it's being taken hostage. Being a liability to her comrades, bringing danger to her own allies… condemning everyone into defeat. Moreover, if Lightning doesn't do anything to break free, she'll never see Serah again; she'll never get the chance to apologize to her, to redeem her failure in protecting her… and Serah will die alone in this dark prison.

And that's when Lightning's primal instincts kick in.

Roaring furiously, Lightning ignores her pain and lurches forward, weakening the surprised General's grip on her throat. Before the man can react, she's snapped her jaws shut around his hand, tearing his flesh so deep his bone almost gets exposed as she yanks her head sideways like a furious wolf.

"Uargh!" The General bellows in pain, letting go of Lightning. The moment they see her released, Fang and Vanille immediately react; they send Aerora to the General, hurling him a few meters away from them.

"Lightning!" Fang calls out to her partner, dashing towards her with Vanille.

Meanwhile, Lightning has fallen to her knees, clutching her stomach as her face twists in pain. The full impact of her furious action has hit her fully; she lets out a pained moan before coughing out blood as another wave of agony racks her.

"Light, keep still!" Vanille says, quickly kneeling beside Lightning and presses her hand onto Lightning's solar plexus. The soldier jerks at the contact, but soon her trembling subsides as Vanille's healing spell works its effect on her.

Vanille quickly casts another healing spell, relieved when she sees Lightning's breathing begins to return to normal and she opens her eyes. However, she knows that Lightning's viscera must have been injured after all those blows; she still needs some time to heal her completely…

Unfortunately, that's a luxury they do not have.

Despite having been thrown across the room, the General still possesses enough strength to stand back up. Fang growls, grabbing her lance as she sees the man rising to his feet, completely ignoring the flow of blood from his hand and head.

_I'm so gonna kill you after what you've done to Lightning! _

Without waiting for Vanille, Fang charges towards the General, her lance drawn. However, she halts midway, frowning as she sees the man smirking at her.

"Looks like I've underestimated your shewolf of a friend, l'Cie… but that would only mean your deaths!" the General hollers, his eyes flashing furiously. Then he slams his left hand onto a control button on his armband.

Right then, a gate opens on the wall beside the General. From within its darkness, a colossal, silver-armored Warmech with bladed arms steps out. Still smirking, the General jumps onto the Warmech's head and enters a cockpit there, controlling it.

"Now I'll crush all of you l'Cie to pulp!" his voice echoes from within the Warmech, whose arms have begun moving threateningly in conjunction to the General's control.

Despite this ominous turn of events, Fang still rises her lance in front of her. She knows how strong this opponent is, she knows how little chance they actually have of winning, but they simply can't give up now. The others are just in the next room… that knowledge has spurted Lightning into action just now, and it is also currently giving Fang cold determination to win.

Then Fang hears footfalls beside her, and she turns her head to see her companions have rushed to her side upon seeing that deadly Warmech emerging. Vanille is standing beside her, swinging her binding rod. Lightning is there, too; falling into step beside Fang with her gunblade drawn.

"You okay?" Fang asks her battle partner, worry gnawing in her mind as she recalls all those blows to Lightning's solar plexus. It must have been damn excruciating…

"I'm… fine…" Lightning answers, but Fang doesn't believe her. She can see Lightning's breathing is somewhat short and laborious, and the way she clutches at her stomach with her body hunched slightly forward proves Fang's point. She's still suffering some kind of internal injury, one that Vanille hasn't got the time to heal because of this stupid Warmech's emergence.

But for now, they don't have much choice. Fang knows all three of them have to work together to bring this Warmech down; there is no way they can win this fight just by two people. Besides, Light looks quite capable of fighting still, so Fang lets her be.

"Well, then… Let's take this ugly machine down! Our last obstacle!" Fang shouts, dashing forward to attack. Lightning and Vanille charge forward as well, weapons drawn to face the looming Warmech.


	33. Chapter 33

_My head hurts. _

_My arms hurt._

_Everything hurts._

Strangely, I don't feel scared at all. Even though I know I'm dying, I feel nothing much. It must be the fever.

Right, even though I've been trying to keep myself alive, but my body also has its limits. The wounds on my wrists from those shackles have worsened, and now a fever is hitting me. My head throbs all the time, my lungs feel like they are burning; it's so difficult to even breathe. But then again, at the same time the fever has caused my mind to be foggy. I can't focus on thinking about anything now… Not even about her…

The funny part? Well, my delirious brain has started to conjure up images, illusions even. I would wake up from my sleep seeing shadows of things, like Morning Glory lying on the floor… Fang's lance being stuck in the wall… or even that extremely-familiar gunblade. And as my fever gets worse, the images intensify as well. They no longer appear as shadows, but solid and… real.

I know those are not good signs at all. Seeing things has never been a good signal. Hmph, but frankly I don't care. No, I _can't _care anymore. Everytime my brain tries to focus on a particular image, it immediately shuts down. As in, it refuses to think of anything. So I just stay put, unable to think, unable to feel anything but the burning sensation throughout my body.

I wouldn't know whether my fever gets worse or not, because the burning sensation is always the same. It never intensifies or decreases. It just remains there, stagnant. The only indicators of my fever getting worse are the images… which get more and more complex, more real, as my condition worsens. I even begin seeing images of _her. _Lightning.

The first time it happened, I woke up from my disturbed sleep to see Lightning standing right across, beyond the bars. I immediately felt my heart jolts in happiness, and I called out for her, tugging at my chains, wanting nothing more but to run into her arms. But 'she' just stood there, motionless, unresponsive. 'She' just watched me with lifeless eyes. And that was when I realized that it was just another image my feverish brain conjured up.

A small smile spreads on my lips. Even now, my brain is playing tricks on me. Somehow I am seeing Lightning again, staring at me through the bars. Even though she doesn't move, even though I know she is not real, but I feel happy. I feel happy that my brain remembers her form so clearly, to be able to conjure up such an exact image of Lightning. I don't care even though I can't think of anything, I don't care even though I can't recall any happy memories I have with her. And I don't care even though I realize that I may die soon, alone, in this dark cell. At least I can die while seeing her face, despite it is just a phantom.

With that, I close my eyes and fall into a slumber.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the battle against Zalera's General in his Warmech is raging.<p>

"For Makers' sake… DIE ALREADY!" Fang roars, jabbing her lance forward with all her strength. However, despite Fang's tremendous energy, her lance jab leaves nothing more than a shallow cut in the gigantic Warmech's metal armor. Growling in frustration, Fang leaps backwards to dodge the Warmech's bladed arm that has come slashing down at her, leaving deep indents in the floor as it cuts through it easily. Right then, Lightning somersaults over, slashing her gunblade directly at the joint between its main body and the arm. However, she doesn't get much better result than Fang. Despite her blade slashed right at the metallic robot's weak joint, but it merely leaves a dent there. Nothing else. Vanille hasn't gotten luckier either; her Firaga spell, aimed straight at the Warmech's body, doesn't even leave any burn mark.

Now the fight against the war machine has been ongoing for a while, with the three l'Cie getting more and more desperate as their attacks barely leave a scratch on the enemy. Meanwhile, the prison General is gloating inside his cockpit at the head of the Warmech. He simply presses buttons here and there, controlling the Warmech, bringing upon the three intruders powerful slashes of the bladed arms. Even one hit can be fatal. Luckily, Lightning, Fang and Vanille are quite skillful in dodging.

Even Fang has foregone her usual all-out attacks and is now getting more careful. She would dive in to attack only when the Warmech's bladed arms are away from her. Then before those lethal arms fall upon her, she would leap back like what has just happened. The same goes for Lightning and Vanille; attack, dodge. Attack, dodge. But their attacks do not seem to weaken the metal monstrosity at all.

"This is insane!" Vanille squeals as she skids to a halt beside Lightning and Fang. All three of them are getting exhausted; their breathing is all quickened. Before anyone can answer Vanille, one of the bladed arms falls upon them, forcing them to leap away in different directions as the heavy limb slams to the floor, leaving cracks on it. Seeing a chance, Vanille and Fang quickly unleash their attacks on the arm before the Warmech pulls it back. But still; not much damage do they inflict.

"Fang! Vanille! Withdraw!" Lightning suddenly shouts, unleashing a Stop spell on the Warmech's arm. It manages to pin the arm to the ground, but they all know that the effect will only last for a while. Thus, Fang and Vanille withdraw hastily from the Warmech who is struggling violently to break the restrain on its arm. The two Oerbans retreat towards Lightning, each halting on her side.

Fang is getting annoyed; she actually wanted to finish this fight in mere minutes the moment she learnt that the others are just one room away. However, upon facing the Warmech's strength, she grudgingly admits that her intention is simply impossible. Raising her lance steadily in front of her, Fang asks, "Any plan?" glancing at Lightning beside her.

"Attack the head! That's where all the control is; if we break it, the Warmech will stop. We can't afford to waste energy ramming its body anymore, it's useless!" Lightning snarls, her anger emanating clearly as well.

"But don't we still have to deal with the General after the Warmech stops?" Vanille asks, sending Lightning a sidelong, worried glance.

It is Fang who answers her. "Well, then let's just make sure we hit this machine's head hard enough to inflict damage on the General as well!"

"If you say so…" Vanille looks unconvinced; it does make sense to focus their assault on the head, but it is difficult to carry out. The General will surely defend his Warmech's head, and that means they would have to maneuver around those sharp bladed arms to land a hit on the head. Moreover, the head surely has thick armor as the rest of its body too…

Taking a deep breath, Vanille steadies herself. Unfortunately they don't have much choice, so they can only go along with this strategy, despite its difficulty. She is about to send a Blizzaga spell to the Warmech's head, when it finally manages to break Lightning's Stop spell.

With a menacing whirring, the Warmech pulls its arm back, banging it angrily on the ground. As it lifts up both of its arms again, Lightning, Fang and Vanille quickly spread out to dodge the upcoming attack.

Without wasting anymore time, Lightning makes her move the moment she sees the Warmech slamming its arms to the ground. Right, the only advantage they've got over this robot is speed. The Warmech is heavy and slow; it needs time to withdraw its arms after each attack. And that brief window of vulnerability is exactly what Lightning is aiming to exploit.

Lightning jumps up high, landing right on the Warmech's left arm. She dashes on it, heading straight to the head. However, the General must have realised her intention and he quickly withdraws the Warmech's right arm, swinging it to hit Lightning. And Lightning barely has the time to somersault backwards to dodge the attack.

Vanille squeals as she sees Fang unleashing her Highwind on the Warmech the moment Lightning lands. Her attack is powerful, of course, but it only tears a single gash on the Warmech's armor. Moreover, it does not hit its head; the Warmech has managed to raise its arm on time to block a direct hit on its head. Vanille's fear has been proven true; the General is aware of their plan to attack his Warmech's head. That's why he was able to block Lightning and Fang's attacks… If this carries on, they will take a very long time to defeat this monstrosity.

Vanille spares Lightning a worried glance. Already can she see the signs of exhaustion from the soldier. Lightning's body is slumping forward, and she is panting heavily. Her solar plexus… Vanille hasn't got the time to heal her completely, and that injury must be hurting her. Especially after all those somersaults and attacks she's unleashed…

Vanille gulps. She can't let this fight drags longer.

Seeing the Warmech is still recoiling from Fang's Highwind, Vanille immediately charges straight towards it. Without giving the machine any time to dodge, Vanille sends a Waterga spell right onto its head. She knows it will not damage its thick armor, but her purpose is to obstruct the Warmech's view. She's expected the General not to know that she can attack from afar with her binding rod. Thinking that she might be able to trick this General, Vanille unleashes her binding rod's hooked wires, right towards the head of the Warmech.

However, she hasn't expected the Warmech to have another weapon built within it other than its bladed arms.

Before Vanille's binding rod can even hit, the Warmech's mouth part suddenly opens, revealing a cannon inside. And a flame can be seen forming within it, ready to be shot out.

"Vanille, look out!" Fang shouts, hurriedly turning towards Vanille. Lightning is doing so as well, but the two of them are simply too far away to help on time.

Right then, the cannon shoots, firing a ball of flame straight towards Vanille.

"Unh!"

In the split second when she sees the cannon being revealed, Vanille has known that her attack plan has failed. She quickly pulls back her binding rod's wires, before jumping sideways as far as she can to dodge the fiery cannonball. It hits the floor directly on the spot where Vanille has been standing a few moments earlier; its impact force sending Vanille tumbling hard on the ground.

"Ouch!" Vanille squeals as her tumbling finally stops, leaving her lying breathless on her back. However, when she opens her eyes, she is immediately greeted with a sight of the Warmech's bladed arm falling upon her.

Out of pure luck, Vanille has managed to cast a last-minute Protect spell on herself. It wasn't enough to block the powerful attack entirely, but at least it manages to save her from instant death by deflecting the bladed arm away from her neck. However, it still finds its way into Vanille's left arm, which is slashed open immediately under the sharp edge.

"Aaaah!"

"VANILLE!"

Lightning and Fang shout in unison, they have both seen clearly the Warmech's arm falling right onto Vanille. And when it draws its arm back, the two warriors see that it is covered in crimson.

Meanwhile, through her quickly-darkening vision, Vanille sees the Warmech lifting its arm again; preparing to fully chop her into two. Despite this, the redhead cannot move; the pain in her arm is too excruciating, threatening to make her pass out. Thus, Vanille just shuts her eyes, fear spiking in her mind. _Am I dying here?_

However, to Vanille's surprise, she suddenly feels someone's arms scooping her up and carrying her away. She hears the loud bang of the Warmech's arm on the ground, on the place where she's been lying a second before. Vanille struggles to open her eyes, and sees those unmistakable, striking blue eyes. Lightning has dragged her away on time, just before the bladed arm hits her.

"Light…!" Vanille tries to speak, but her arm immediately throbs so excruciatingly that her words turn to a pained moan. She can feel blood gushing out of it, and to her horror she finds that she cannot move her entire arm at all.

"Vanille, don't talk! Just hang on!" Lightning says, carefully lowering Vanille to the ground. They are quite a distance away from the Warmech, who has been prevented from chasing and killing them by Fang. The Pulsian warrior is acting as a Sentinel now, using her Steelguard to withstand the Warmech's attacks. Right, when Fang saw Vanille getting maimed, she knows immediately that her Medic skills are not enough to save her friend. The only thing she can do is to hold this damn Warmech off while Light heals Vanille. And she's gonna buy them all the time they need, she won't let this damn robot get past her!

Meanwhile, Lightning crouches on the ground beside Vanille, worriedly scrutinizing the redhead's injury. It is horrendous; her left arm has almost been totally chopped off. Only a thin strand of flesh and bone is holding it in place, and blood is gushing out from the mangled limb to the ground, forming a crimson pool.

"L-Light…" Vanille whispers weakly, trembling in fear as she catches a glance of her mangled arm.

"I said, don't talk!" Lightning growls; her hands already forming Curaga, working on Vanille's arm. Upon seeing her Curaga not having much effect on the wound, Lightning forces herself to cast a stronger spell, channeling more energy into her magic. But suddenly—

_Throb._

Lightning's eyes widen, her jaw tightens when that throb suddenly racks her midriff.

_Dammit, not now…_

Lightning knows her injured solar plexus from the earlier incident hasn't been healed completely, and the amount of energy she is channeling into her healing spells is worsening its condition. But she can't just stop; Vanille is the one currently needing help the most here! She is almost maimed, dammit. Hence, Lightning ignores the throb and continues channeling her healing magic for the redhead.

However, even though Lightning is giving her best Curaga, the healing of Vanille's arm is slow. Vanille's started to feel the full impact of her injury as well; the pain is spreading from her arm to her entire body, fogging her thoughts with agony, preventing her to think of anything else but the redhead is getting paler and paler with the loss of blood, and tears are starting to brim on her eyes as she struggles to hold in the tormenting pain. She wants to get away from this torture… she doesn't want to feel any more of this searing pain… Subconsciously, Vanille's emerald eyes are starting to close.

"Vanille! Hey, don't close your eyes!" Lightning hisses, pressing her hand onto Vanille's injured arm tighter as she notices the light in the little girl's eyes fading. Her spell manages to stitch back some parts of Vanille's flesh, but there is still a long way to go in order to heal it completely.

"It… hurts…" Vanille whimpers, wincing. Her arm is now shaking, her blood spurting out from between Lightning's fingers that are pressed firmly on her ghastly wound.

"I know, Vanille, but you can't close your eyes! You might not be able to wake up… Dammit, just look at me and don't close your eyes!" Lightning retorts, glaring straight into Vanille's eyes.

Right… Even in her agonized state, Vanille can still notice how beautiful Lightning's eyes are. Those deep blue orbs are now focused on her forest-green ones, and Vanille cannot help but feels somewhat happy to be able to stare at them from this distance. The redhead admires the determination in those eyes, the way all those countless facets of blue focus solely on her wounded arm; she likes the way those perfect eyebrows frown in concentration. Lightning does look fierce… but her ferocity is one that is comforting, not threatening. Because Vanille knows Lightning will never hurt her friends, that the soldier's ferocity is actually directed to those who pose a danger to the people she cares about.

With that, Vanille keeps gazing at Lightning, using those sapphire eyes as her anchor. She keeps waiting for the occasional glances they cast at her, waiting to see those deep blue eyes that are no longer ice-cold like usual. No, they are filled with warm concern now, worried but serious. Those strong eyes are giving Vanille something to hold on in her pained state, in her foggy mind.

"That's right, Vanille, keep opening your eyes…" Lightning whispers, pressing her hands once again on Vanille's wound. The redhead twitches, smiling softly. Yes, she likes Lightning's voice, too… she struggles harder to remain conscious, hoping to hear that voice or receive that glance of her eyes again.

Lightning keeps casting her Curaga; she is relieved to see Vanille's arm begins to close halfway. Her healing spells have managed to mend the bones together, leaving only the flesh open. And she's managed to slow the bleeding as well. Just a little more…

However, by then the throbbing in Lightning's stomach has intensified. She can feel her damaged solar plexus pulsating, sending waves of pain throughout her middle, fuelled by her drained energy that she channels into the healing spells.

Yet Lightning just grits her teeth, keeps casting her Curaga over and over again, thinking of nothing else but to heal Vanille. The redhead has always been the one saving her every time she gets hurt; she basically owes Vanille her life! She can't just leave the redhead to bleed to death only because of these small throbs…

And so Lightning just clenches her jaws, holding in her own pain and keeps casting Curaga, all while doing her best to keep her face stoic.

However, Vanille notices Lightning's clenched jaws and she knows immediately that the soldier is holding in pain. She twitches, trying to muster the strength to talk.

"Light, stop… you're hurting… don't spend anymore magic, you'll hurt more…!" Vanille manages to say weakly. She can still feel stabbing pain in her arm, but she knows the bones have been healed. She can deal with the rest!

"I'll be fine, Light, leave me…! Just sto—"

"No."

Vanille was about to say something else to convince Lightning to leave her, but the soldier has muttered that single word through her clenched teeth with such finality in it, one that leaves no room to argue. With just that simple word, Vanille knows she can never make Light leave. She didn't even cast her gaze away from Vanille's wound; she just continues healing it, disregarding Vanille's pleading entirely. The redhead falls silent, gaping at Lightning, whose blue eyes are now flaring with cold stubbornness.

After a while, Vanille finally finds her voice again.

"…Stop being so… stubborn…" she whispers, managing to form a frown. "You're annoying me, y'know…"

Vanille is trying to irritate Lightning, but the soldier merely scoffs without even stopping casting her healing spells.

"I'm not here to make you like me, Vanille, I'm here to heal you," she growls.

Vanille is stunned for a few seconds upon hearing this, but then she can't stop herself from letting out a weak giggle. That's just so typical Lightning, totally uncaring about whether people like her or not. No matter what Vanille says, even if the redhead shouts "I hate you," Lightning won't leave. Thus Vanille stops trying and stays quiet. She just thinks of one thing in her mind.

_But I've already liked you…you and your foolhardy stubbornness…_

* * *

><p>Luckily, soon Lightning manages to stitch back most of Vanille's arm. It is no longer half-maimed now, in fact the ghastly wound has shrunk to a gash that no longer bleeds. Vanille has begun to be able to move her fingers again, although her arm still throbs occasionally.<p>

Lightning is planning to heal Vanille's arm entirely, but then they hear a loud crash behind them. Immediately the two of them turn their heads around, right to see Fang being slammed to the wall by the Warmech; her Steelguard has been broken through.

"No! Fang!" Vanille cries out, struggling to stand up.

"Stay!" Lightning growls at Vanille, while jumping back to her feet with flash-like speed. She immediately dashes towards her battle partner, scowling worriedly when she sees Fang falling to the ground in a heap. Not only that, but the Warmech is using this chance to raise its arms again, preparing to bring them down upon Fang. _Dammit!_

Meanwhile, Fang is unable to move at all. She knows the Warmech is looming before her, ready to crush her into bits; but she really cannot move. The earlier hit she received has crushed her shoulder and blowed air entirely out of her lungs, leaving her out of breath and incapacitated with pain. Fang shuts her eyes when another wave of pain racks her shoulder, grimacing. The blade is falling towards her—

_Clang!_

Fang opens her eyes, startled, when she hears that sound of metal against metal. She has expected sharp blades to tear her body to shreds, but nothing hits her. She looks at the person standing before her and a smirk immediately spreads on her face.

Right, Lightning has arrived on time to block the Warmech's attack. She has dashed right between Fang and the falling arm of the Warmech, blocking the attack with her gunblade which is now locked with the bladed arm.

The Warmech pauses, the General within it seems to be surprised by Lightning's sudden arrival as well. But he soon gets over his surprise and Lightning immediately feels the pressure on her locked gunblade increasing.

"Guuh…"

Lightning grits her teeth angrily, refusing to give up. But the Warmech's limb is so heavy and powerful, she starts feeling her arms tremble and her legs beginning to buckle under the tremendous pressure. She tenses, the weight of the arm threatening to crush her. Lightning knows she can't continue this much longer—she has to move away lest she be crushed. Yet she can't just move aside and let the arm falls, Fang's still behind her!

Deciding to go for extreme measure, Lightning grunts. "Sorry, Fang!"

"Huh?"

Before Fang can react, Lightning's already kicked the huntress hard on her side.

Fang lets out a yelp as she is sent skidding away on the floor by the kick, which has caused her side to immediately flare up in pain. But Lightning's purpose has been met; her kick has sent Fang out of the bigger harm's way. Lightning knows that's gotta hurt, but she has no choice. Better than being crushed under heavy bladed arm, at least. And so, with Fang out of the way, Lightning breaks her weapon's lock and quicksteps away to dodge the crashing arm. It hits the floor with a resonating boom, cracking it but injuring no one. _Finally, some luck._

Using this as her chance, Lightning quickly dashes forward; leaping over the Warmech's other arm that tries to swipe at her and charges straight towards the Warmech's head.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Fang is grumbling as she lies panting on her back, her side stings after skidding on the floor. <em>Dammit, Light, you just had to kick me that hard, hadn't you? <em>the huntress thinks, wincing as her broken shoulder throbs. But Fang trusts Lightning, she knows that whatever it is Lightning does, no matter how rude, is actually for the best. Grunting, she tries to get up, only to fall back as her broken shoulder gives a heavy protest.

"Fang!"

Fang looks up when she hears that voice, and sees Vanille running towards her. Right, the redhead has been able to move, thanks to Lightning's healing. She quickly crouches beside her friend, helping her to sit up.

"Vanille, are you… okay now?" Fang asks, still somewhat out of breath.

"I'm fine, Fang, Light healed me… but I've gotta heal you now! Your shoulder…"

Vanille starts casting her healing spell, but she realizes immediately to her horror that her magic is weaker than usual. She stares at her left arm, realizing the numb feeling going through it that hinders her magic.

Fang notices this of course. "Hey, 'Nille, enough! I can still move my shoulder, leave it be."

"But—"

"Leave it," Fang repeats, climbing back to her feet. She casts a sidelong glance at Vanille, and knows immediately that the girl's left arm must still be hurting. The little girl is subconsciously cradling it, and a pained frown still forms on her face. Fang herself, meanwhile, isn't in a very good condition. Her shoulder throbs with each movement she makes, although she can still forces it to move if she wants to. And Lightning…

A loud crash resonates through the room, drawing the two Oerbans' attention back to the Warmech. It has just banged both of its arms down to the ground, and Lightning can be seen somersaulting away. Without wasting anymore time, Fang and Vanille rush to her side to help, ignoring their injuries for the time being. They can always heal later… They have to bring the Warmech down first!

"Right behind ya, Light!" Fang shouts as she steps beside Lightning, casting her Ruin spells at the approaching Warmech. Vanille, too, has arrived beside Fang and is casting various elemental spells at the monstrosity. And so, the fight resumes.

* * *

><p><em>This isn't working.<em>

Lightning is angry; the prolonged fight and the continuous throbs from her solar plexus are getting into her nerves. The knowledge that Serah is only one room away from her only serves to intensify her anger, and the soldier shoots her gunblade furiously at the Warmech. By now, the Warmech's body has indeed been riddled with dents and slashes, but its head is still in a good condition. However, the same thing cannot be said for the three of them. They are wounded, and their stamina is running out fast. If they don't end this fight quickly, their chance of winning will soon dwindle to nonexistence.

Lightning scowls, her brain trying to conjure up some plan to defeat this Warmech. She knows its weakness must be in its head; it's been proven by the way the General keeps the bladed arms around its head all the time, carefully defending it from any attack. If they want to beat this robot, they _have _to attack its head. But then again, doing that is no longer enough. Even if they beat the head, only the Warmech will stop. The General will still be able to whack them all… unless they can crush both the Warmech and the General together in one strike.

Lightning growls, struggling to rack her brain even as she struggles to evade attacks. All around her, Fang and Vanille are struggling too. Soon they will all be incapacitated by their wounds; she has to come up with something—

"_If an enemy is too strong for you to beat, Sergeant, then be cunning and try using the other enemies for your advantage! Try getting them to beat their own boss! Hahaha!"_

Lightning's eyes widen when she recalls that… advice… from Lieutenant Amodar a long time ago. Back then, she didn't really understand what he meant. How could she make the enemies 'beat their own boss'? It was absurd. But now, in this life-or-death situation, somehow Lightning realizes how she is going to do just that. And for this crazy plan to work, she needs Fang's help.

Without wasting anymore time, Lightning turns to face Fang. Even from a distance, she can see the huntress' body is starting to slump forward as she clutches her injured shoulder. Lightning has to ask for her help soon, before Fang's shoulder become totally unuseable.

"Fang! I've got one last favor to ask of you!" Lightning shouts, dashing towards her battle partner. "I've no time to explain, so just do as I say!"

Fang immediately turns to face Lightning, puzzlement in her eyes. "Whaddaya want?" she shouts back, leaping backwards to keep a good distance between her and the Warmech.

"Launch me!"

Fang is stunned for a few seconds upon hearing Lightning's request, but then she sees the looming Warmech before them and a grin forms on her face. Right, how can she not think of that?

"Alright, I get it, Light!" The huntress barks out her laughter, readying her lance. "Ready when you are!"

"Wait, guys, what are you planning to do?" Vanille squeals, casting her friends a worried glance. They clearly have a plan, but how dangerous is it?

"Don't worry, 'Nille, just watch!" Fang shouts, a fierce glee on her face. "This is a good plan!" she hoots, gripping her lance tightly in her hands. She slants it downwards, the flat side of its crimson blade facing upwards.

Before Vanille can ask anything else, she already lets out another surprised squeal when Lightning sprints towards Fang, her gunblade raised in that familiar manner. Vanille knows that stance… And she recognizes Fang's stance, too…

_Army of One? Launch?_

"Ready for take-off!" Fang shouts to Lightning as the distance between them shrinks, her arms muscles can be seen tensing as she grips her lance tighter. The Pulsian huntress smirks, turning her face at the Warmech. "Watch out, you overgrown metal… this will no longer be Army of One!" she grunts.

Right then, Lightning somersaults forward, landing exactly on the flat side of Fang's lance's blade. Immediately the huntress' arm tenses under the weight, but she still smirks and grunts, "This is…"

Before the Warmech can react, Fang swings her lance upwards with all her strength, ignoring the throbbing of her shoulder; Launch-ing Lightning straight towards the looming opponent.

"…Air Force of One!"

Propelled by Fang's powerful Launch, Lightning shoots through the air straight towards the Warmech, her gunblade gleaming dangerously. Without hesitation, the soldier fires her weapon, hitting the Warmech directly on its head. But that's not all; just like Army of One, this attack has a flurry of blows to overwhelm the enemy.

While the Warmech recoils under the bullets, Lightning somersaults over it, changing Blazefire Saber to its blade form, stabbing the monster's head. The momentum of her vault helps the blade to cut deeply through the metal, slashing through it as Lightning soars over. However, finally friction wins and the gunblade halts; but Lightning is ready to execute her next move. Without hesitation, the soldier flips her feet over her head, kicking the Warmech's neck to to help her immediately somersault again backwards.

And now Lightning is in the air again, directly above the Warmech's mouth. Whirring dangerously, the robot looks up and opens its mouth, aiming to shoot Lightning with its cannon.

However, before it can do so, Lightning's already unleashed her Wrath of Heavens right into the opened mouth.

CRACK!

Violent whirring sounds ensue, the Warmech shakes dangerously as its components inside are being scorched by the mighty spell. Some of its body parts even begin to explode, casting thick, black smoke into the air, the booming sound deafening. In the midst of these destruction, Lightning lands back on the ground, a few distance away from the Warmech. Her attack has indeed dealed a heavy damage on the machine, but so has it on herself.

"Uh…" Lightning winces, clutching her stomach. All those somersaults really have aggravated her injury further. However, even though the Warmech has indeed sustained considerable damage, Lightning knows it is still far from being defeated. She turns her head around and sees Fang has fallen to the ground as well, clutching her shoulder; Vanille trying to heal her. Lightning immediately feels guilty for asking her battle partner to Launch her in an injured state, but she simply didn't have any choice. At least now she wouldn't need Fang to help her with this second part of her plan…

Jumping back to her feet, Lightning ignores the throbbing in her midriff. She grits her teeth, thinking only about Serah to prevent herself from stopping now.

_Serah's just one room away… If I do this right, I can see her soon! _

Lightning's eyes snapped open, and she shoots her gunblade again at the Warmech. The smoking machine immediately turns to face her, raising its arm angrily.

"Think you can hit me with that rusty pipe?" Lightning taunts, quickstepping backwards to dodge the falling arm. Before the Warmech can swipe its other arm at her, Lightning turns and dashes away.

Enraged, the General quickly drives his Warmech forward at full speed, wanting to crush Lightning.

From behind her, Lightning hears the heavy thumping of the Warmech as it stomps after her, too. However, the soldier merely smirks to herself. _That's right, follow me._

With that, Lightning dashes faster, which fuels the Warmech to move faster as well. To Lightning's surprise, the machine is actually quite fast on its feet. It has almost covered the distance between them…

Meanwhile, Fang and Vanille have noticed that the Warmech is chasing after Lightning.

"Light!" Fang calls out, trying to climb back to her feet. But her shoulder immediately throbs excruciatingly, forcing her to freeze.

"Fang, don't move yet! I'm almost done healing you, wait a few more seconds!" Vanille warns, her hand busy casting Cura on Fang's shoulder.

"Hurry, Vanille! Light…!"

By then, Lightning is forcing her legs to run faster, the clangs of the Warmech's feet getting louder from behind her. Then suddenly she hears the unmistakable swish of its arm being swiped, forcing her to roll forward to dodge it.

"Damn," Lightning mutters under her breath as she climbs back to her feet, dashing forward. Just a little more to her destination…

But then, Lightning feels that familiar, sudden unpleasant feeling again. Following her instinct, she throws herself sideways, right when the Warmech's arm jabs to the place where her torso had been earlier. Had she not moved, it would've pierced right through her body.

Lightning freezes for a while, still stunned after her brush with death. The arm has indeed missed her torso, but the blade still managed to sideswipe her head, tearing a deep slash on her cheek. Blood drips onto Lightning's collar, staining the white fabric with crimson.

Grunting, Lightning snaps herself out of the sudden sting and continues dashing. By then, the General is beyond enraged; his attack has been dodged way too many times for his liking. With the Warmech whirring furiously, he increases its speed again, caring on nothing else but to catch and crush Lightning. He is about to get her; she is merely a few meters ahead, trying to run into the previous room. The General laughs mockingly. _Trying to run back the way you came? Pathetic!_

Meanwhile, Fang has been able to move again. She quickly rises to her feet and chases after Lightning, Vanille following behind her. However, her eyes widen in disbelief as she sees Lightning running towards the previous room.

"Oi, Light!" Fang warns, trying to get Lightning's attention. But instead, she draws the General's attention to herself and Vanille.

_Hmph._

With an easy press of a button, the General plans to get rid of the two Oerbans. The Warmech turns its head quickly, shooting its cannon right at them.

"Ugh!" Fang growls as she throws herself sideways, just as the ball of flame explodes on the ground. She's seen Vanille throwing herself away as well, but now they are separated by the burning rubbles.

"'Nille, you okay?" Fang shouts, squinting to see her friend through the smoke. _Please be okay, I still have Light to worry about!_

"I'm fine, Fang! Help Light!"

Fang doesn't need further prompting. She immediately dashes away, chasing the Warmech and Lightning, who's almost entered the previous room. The huntress shouts angrily at her battle partner, knowing what lies within that room and what will happen the moment Lightning enters it.

"Light, what the hell are you doing? That room—!"

_That room is the one with the axe!_

However, it's too late. Lightning has stepped into the axe room, the Warmech rushes in after her.

CRASH!

Fang halts, covering her face as shards of metals get thrown from the axe room, some of them cutting her flesh and drawing blood. Thick smoke billows out from the room as well, but Fang doesn't even realize all this. Her shocked mind can only think of one thing.

_This can't be… the hell, Light! _

Fang still can't believe what has just happened. They've won! Judging from the amount of metal being thrown out of the room, the axe must have hit the Warmech; both weapons being destroyed at the impact. Moreover, Fang has seen with her own eyes when the axe hits the Warmech right on its head. There is no way the General within the cockpit can still be in one piece, he's gotta be dead! But then…

"LIGHTNING!" Fang roars, calling out to her battle partner. That foolhardy stubborn-head, she's lured the General into the axe room! Her plan does work, but what the hell has happened to her? _Don't tell me she got chopped too…_

But right then, suddenly Fang sees a form moving within all the smoke. It is staggering, but she knows that form too well.

"Light!" Fang calls out again, half-worried, half-relieved. _She's alive!_

The huntress immediately dashes towards her battle partner, wanting to make sure she is really okay.

However, Fang scowls in worry when she sees Lightning clutching her stomach. Before she can even reach her, the soldier already fell to her knees, and Fang can see the deep cut on her cheek that stains half her face crimson.

Dashing faster, Fang finally reaches her battle partner a few seconds later, skidding to a halt beside her and kneels down as well.

"Light, Lightning, hang on! That axe didn't hit you, right?" Fang demands.

Lightning manages to lift her face a little and gives a slight shake of her head, but then her solar plexus throbs so hard. Grunting, Lightning loses what little energy she has and her torso falls forward.

"Hey, hang on!" Fang hisses; she quickly catches Lightning's falling body before it hits the ground, supporting her with her own shoulder. "Don't worry, Light, I'll take you to Vanille, she will—"

However, a familiar hiss suddenly resonates from within the axe room.

_You must be kidding me._

Fang grits her teeth, not wanting to see the thing that has made that hiss. However, as another hiss resonates, she has to look up. Her heart immediately lurches.

Right before her, is that humongous spider from the earlier room again. With the axe having been destroyed along with the Warmech, the giant bug now can stroll right through to chase its 'preys.'

_Great, exactly what we need!  
><em>Growling angrily, Fang grabs Lightning's shoulders with her left arm, holding her battler partner close to her. With her right arm, the huntress crosses her lance in front of Lightning, ready to protect her from anything.

No matter what, she won't let this bug touch Lightning!

The spider hisses as it sees Fang and Lightning, its venom trickling to the ground. With a sharp click of its fangs, it starts scurrying towards its preys, ready to devour them. Fang tightens her grip on her lance, gritting her teeth in helpless anger…

…but that's when a powerful Firaga suddenly hits the spider directly, successfully roasting the monster as it screeches in pain. Fang was stunned, shocked when the spider suddenly burns up. However, she lets out her held-in breath as she turns around and sees Vanille running towards them. Relief fills her mind, especially when she feels Lightning stirs and sees her opening her blue eyes.

"Reckless plan, Light, but it worked nonetheless," the huntress remarks, grinning as Lightning squirms away, no longer needing her support.

Lightning simply ignores the comment, replying Fang with her own words. "Thanks… for the Launch…" she pants, still clutching her stomach.

"Hey, no big deal," Fang says, smiling as Vanille drops to her knees as well beside her. The huntress blinks in sympathy as she sees the burns on Vanille's legs; the redhead must have trampled right through those burning rubbles just to come to her aid.

Vanille, meanwhile, is also scrutinizing her friends' injuries as well as her own. Fang's shoulder hasn't been healed fully, and she's got her limbs cut quite badly by the shattered shards of the Warmech too. Same goes for Lightning's solar plexus; it must still be hurting her. Plus that slash on her cheek… As for herself, Vanille still feels a numb sensation on her left arm, as well as the sting from the burns. Moreover, the earlier efforts to heal each other during the fight have resulted in the three of them practically being soaked in each other's blood by now. They really are in a bad shape… what a crazy battle…

However, Vanille is extremely surprised when she sees Lightning trying to climb back to her feet already.

"Hey, Light, don't move yet!" Vanille protests. However, Lightning is ignoring her; the soldier's eyes are only fixed on the wooden door leading to the next room.

_Serah…_

Vanille immediately understands when she follows Lightning's gaze, but there is no way they can just barge into the next room in this condition! They have indeed defeated the General, but there may still be guards in that room!

"Lightning, stop! We've gotta drink some Potions first!" Vanille says, grabbing Lightning's hand. A pair of blue eyes immediately pierces through her, and Vanille can't help but shudder under the glare. The redhead can see that Lightning is starting to lose her cool; hell, she seems to be moving only on her instinct now, and that is, towards Serah.

Luckily, Fang has noticed this too. Before Lightning can break free from Vanille's grip, she quickly grabs a vial of Potion and shoves it into the soldier's hand, before grabbing two more for herself and Vanille.

Vanille accepts the vial thankfully, quickly opening it and gulping the content down. Fang is doing the same thing beside her. As soon as the liquid enters their system, immediately they feel their wounds completely healed and their energy returns a little. However, in her preoccupation with drinking the Potion, Vanille has released Lightning's hand. And when she looks up, it's too late; the soldier is no longer standing beside them.

Fang growls, turning her head in alarm as she notices Lightning is already gone. Vanille does so too, and the two of them quickly scramble up to her feet as they see Lightning already running into the next room. Towards her sister.

"Hey, Light, wait up!" Fang shouts, dashing after Lightning with Vanille. However, Lightning doesn't even listen. She has downed her Potion too, and her wounds have stopped throbbing… finally.

Lightning has reached the door now, and, without stopping, she rams her forearm right onto it. The wooden door slams open immediately.

"Seraaaaah!" Lightning shouts with all her might as she dashes in, totally uncaring whether there are guards inside that room or not.

* * *

><p><em>It's her voice.<em>

Despite I'm not opening my eyes, I can hear that voice clearly, ringing out through the silent air. That strong, husky voice that I love so much.

I try opening my eyes, but they are simply too heavy. Doesn't matter. Her 'voice' just now… It was so clear. It keeps ringing pleasantly in my mind, echoing without disappearing. It is her voice, calling my name. What a beautiful dream this is...

I just close my eyes, smiling softly to myself. Right, I have been hearing the phantom of Lightning's voice lately, courtesy of my worsening fever. But they have never been as clear, as real as this. I must be too delirious already. I find myself feeling serene, happy even, although it looks like I'll be dying soon. Right, that would explain why my brain is conjuring up her 'voice' so clearly. My subconscious mind must be giving me something to hold on to, as my body stops working. A welcome treat.

I am glad… to be able to dream about her voice so clearly. I am afraid that if I try opening my eyes, that voice will disappear into thin air again. I don't want that…

So I just keep closing my eyes and stay still, only listening to that 'voice' of a dream.

* * *

><p><em>This can't be.<em>

Lightning can't believe this. Here she is, after fighting so hard, finally able to get into the deepest part of Zalera. In this vast room whence prisoner cells riddle the wall, Lightning is finally able to find _her. _

Right, she can see Serah clearly now. Her sister is really there, in one of the cells at the other side of the room, chained to the wall. But the little pinknette doesn't respond to her call, she doesn't even raise her head up.

Lightning can only freeze on her spot, staring wide-eyed at her sister's slumping form; at her head that bows down in weariness, hiding that serene face that Lightning has missed so much. Serah really looks haggard, and she is much thinner. Even from this far distance, Lightning can see the trails of blood flowing down her wrists, result of being shackled for so long. The one thing that Lightning fears the most has happened: seeing Serah hurt and suffering.

"Serah!" Lightning calls out again, praying with all her heart for her sister to respond, to give her some sign that everything isn't too late.

But the little girl remains motionless.

Serah always responds to her voice, always. Even since they were little, whenever Lightning calls her name, she would respond. In any situation, she always does. Even though sometimes she doesn't answer directly with her voice, but she would at least show some gesture of hearing the call.

But now she doesn't even show any sign of hearing her at all. Not even a minute twitch, nothing. Her body remains motionless, slumped. As if the little girl cannot move anymore.

_And that would mean she is… Serah is already…_

…_Dead._

_No. It can't be._

Nothing else matters, her vision has gone all red. She can only see Serah's form in that cell, silent and unresponsive. No, she just won't accept that Serah is dead just like that. She can't be… after all they've gone through, she can't die just like that. Lightning won't accept it, not until she feels it with her own hand that Serah's heart really has stopped.

Lightning starts dashing towards Serah, but that is when all the doors in the room suddenly slam open, their boom echoing in the enclosed square. Hundreds of guards swarm through the doors, their weapons drawn, heading straight towards Lightning. They create a thick barrier between the soldier and Serah, preventing her from reaching her sister.

Upon seeing her path blocked by the guards, something seems to snap within Lightning, something that has been suppressing her emotions all this time. Everything just bursts out then; her guilt, her fear, her _fury_. Both the fury at herself and the fury at all these scums who have tortured her beloved sister.

_I've had enough of these scums blocking my way!_

Lightning is already so close to Serah… Her sister is right there, just across the room. She is so near, yet so far… separated from Lightning by this plague of guards... At this point, uncontrollable fury rushes into her veins, burning her insides like poison, demanding her to attack, to strike, to tear down the enemies.

With that, Lightning lets out a furious roar, flicking her gunblade open into its blade form. Without caring of her own safety, she dives directly into the midst of the guards, totally going berserk. She slashes her weapon wildly, striking everyone in sight, caring only about getting to Serah as soon as possible.

Screams immediately fill the air, screams from the guards Lightning has torn; as well as alarmed yells from the rest. All the guards immediately surround Lightning, trying to stop this… beast.

However, Lightning has gone totally berserk; all her fury that she's restrained all this time has simply burst out. Seeing her sister in that condition, facing the possibility that she might have been dead… yet unable to ascertain it by herself… they only serve to make Lightning more furious, more lethal. She slashes her gunblade left and right, taking guards down with a single strike of her almost-inhumane strength.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" Lightning roars again as another group of guards try to block her path. Without remorse, she unleashes her Wrath of Heavens, only wanting to open a path to Serah as soon as possible. With such fury fuelling it, the spell has gotten way bigger and more destructive than it usually is. It explodes directly in the midst of the guards, scorching them immediately, opening a path for Lightning to run through.

But Lightning doesn't even stop to watch her spell wreaking havoc; as soon as she unleashed it, she dashes forward, tearing more guards who stand in her path. She is attacking blindly now; she no longer cares what her gunblade strikes, she only cares about keeping slashing her weapon. She only cares about annihilating all these scums, all these people who have dared to block her path to Serah.

Screams fill the air as all guards who stand before Lightning fall.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Fang and Vanille have entered the last room as well.<p>

Fang is horrified; she has seen Lightning calling out for Serah, seeing the little pinknette not responding, seeing Lightning's body tremble uncontrollably as her sister remains motionless.

Then the guards arrive, and Fang finds herself facing attacks from those hundreds of PSICOM personnel. Vanille, who was standing beside her, has even been swept away by the waves of guards attacking her. But luckily, the redhead is holding on by herself well enough.

Fang mutters a curse, sending another glance at Lightning when she hears the soldier roaring furiously. She sees clearly her battle partner diving headfirst into the midst of her assaulters, slashing her gunblade wildly. She is heading for Serah, no doubt about it.

Growling, Fang bashes a guard blocking her path with her lance, before starts pushing her way towards Serah as well. A few meters away from her, Vanille is doing the same thing. However, Fang realizes that the redhead's worried eyes are fixed on… Lightning. Vanille must be worrying about the soldier after seeing her attacking so recklessly and furiously like that. To be honest, Fang is worried too, and she was about to approach Lightning; when that mighty Wrath of Heavens fall upon the guards surrounding the furious soldier. All people within a radius of a few meters around Lightning immediately fall, scorched by the destructive spell. Fang curses again. The usual Lightning will never attack so blindly like that, especially in this kind of enclosed area.

Turning around, Fang calls out for Vanille, warning her about the danger. She shouts, "Vanille, Lightning's lost it! Don't get too near her, or you might get hit, too!"

Immediately Vanille turns to face her, and Fang can see the worry and distress in those emerald eyes.

But even Vanille knows that Lightning is beyond reason now. Both Oerbans have seen Serah's condition too, for a split second before the guards attack them. And they can only guess how it has impacted Lightning. Clearly, the sight of her sister in that condition has totally broken whatever restrains Lightning still had over her fury. She is totally out for blood now, totally berserk in her effort to get to her sister as soon as possible.

And so, Fang and Vanille can only keep a distance from the soldier, all while fighting to open their own path. Upon seeing Lightning so furious and totally unapproachable, they have had a silent agreement to leave her be. They will steer clear of Lightning's path lest they both be struck by her fury as well.

Thus, Fang and Vanille leave Lightning to deal with Serah, while they strive to cut their own path through this pandemonium to find the others. Hope, Sazh and Snow… they must be somewhere within this cell-filled room too.

* * *

><p>"Serah…!"<p>

Meanwhile, Lightning has almost reached her sister. She has totally cut down every guard blocking her way, and now her path is opened. Only a few more meters until she can reach Serah's cell…

But right then, another group of guards suddenly dash in to stop her. This time, all of them are equipped with swords and Lightning finds herself struggling to dodge all the slashing attacks. Growling furiously, she starts fighting even more wildly; kicking the guards and hitting them with magic, besides slashing them with her weapon. Unfortunately, she can no longer unleash Wrath of Heavens; that earlier one she's unleashed has sapped her energy quite a great deal. And so Lightning just grits her teeth angrily as she fights this last group of guards blocking her way.

* * *

><p><em>Something isn't right. <em>

Even with my foggy mind, I can still realize that something is happening out there_. _There are loud noises that I've never heard in this solemn, orderly prison before. Noises that are strangely familiar… I know those noises, despite their haphazardness. Those loud clangs, those swishes in the air… and are those high-pitched noises… screams?

_Wait… this can't be… is there a _battle _out there?_

At that thought, my eyes snap open immediately. I don't know how I even muster the strength to do it, but somehow I can lift my head up too, to see what's happening more clearly.

And out there, I see the one person I've been _dying _to see.

* * *

><p>Light…ning….<p>

It's her! It's her; right outside my cell, fighting a group of guards furiously. She is slashing her gunblade left and right, dodging attacks, counterattacking. And she is heading towards me.

I can't believe this, I just can't believe this immediately. It's too good to be true. Yeah, this must be just a dream… I'll wake up again soon, alone in this dark cell, with no Lightning at all. If so, then I'd rather not wake up…

I begin closing my eyes again—

"Serah!"

—But then that voice calls out above all the havoc, clear and filled with urgency. It snaps my eyes open again, and this time, my eyes stare straight into their twins. Right into that pair of deep blue eyes, eyes that I miss so much, eyes that are now so filled with worry. Eyes that are real. They are not a phantom, they _are_ real.

"Light…!" Immediately I respond to her call, almost automatic even. I always respond to her, even now when my throat hurts and shouting sends stabbing pain all over it. But I don't care; Lightning is here, she _really_ is here! She's alive, after all, alive and well; and she's come for me.

Before I know it, I've found myself tugging furiously at my chains, totally uncaring about the shackles cutting deeper into my wrists. Somehow, seeing Lightning is enough to banish all my pain away, all my despair away. All those long hours I spent waiting for her no longer matter now. In fact, they feel almost unreal, almost like they never happened. All because she is here.

"Light… Light!"

I keep calling out for her, struggling to break free from my restraints. I want nothing else, nothing other than to be able to run to Lightning. I just want to run into her arms, to hug her, to make sure that she really is real… To be able to feel her comforting hug, her strength and ferocity that always make me feel so safe…

While I struggle to break free from my chains, Lightning is going berserk too. Her slashes become wilder, her spells more powerful. She growls and snarls, ramming her elbow into the head of a guard who tries to attack her. Her eyes keep glancing at me, flashes of blue amidst all the chaos. It is as though she wants to make sure that I am really here, that I am not going to slump again. Just like how I want to make sure that she really is here.

I keep staring at her wide-eyed, tugging furiously yet helplessly at my chain. Subconsciously, I let out a small whimper as the shackles cut deeper, drawing more blood out.

* * *

><p>Although it is very soft, but Lightning can hear it clearly. She hears Serah calling out for her, she hears the clangs as her sister tugs desperately at her chains. And she hears that whimper of pain that follows each clang. Serah is hurting.<p>

Knowing that she has to do something soon, Lightning growls and unleashes a round-house kick, successfully dispatching the guards surrounding her. It gives her a brief lull in the fight, and she immediately turns to Serah.

"Serah, don't move!" Lightning orders, changing her gunblade to its gun form and lifting it up. Immediately Serah stops tugging at her chains, her light blue eyes watching Lightning with confusion.

Without wasting anymore time, Lightning takes aim at the shackles binding Serah's arm to the wall. She knows that if she misses this shot, Serah's arm will be blown off instead. But she won't let that happen.

* * *

><p>I see her lifting her gunblade, aiming at my shackles. Normal people might feel scared, but I trust Lightning fully. She will never, ever hurt me. So I just stay perfectly still, using the chance to glance outside the window. It's still quite dark out there, but I can see faint greyish light beginning to illuminate the night sky. Dawn is coming…<p>

BANG!

That sudden loud sound snaps my eyes back to Lightning, and I realize to my delight that she has blown off one of my shackles. She is aiming at the other one now, but I can see a few guards dashing towards her, their swords drawn.

"Light, look out!" I shout to warn her, scowling in worry as the distance between her and the assaulters decrease rapidly.

But Lightning doesn't even send those guards a glance. She is only focusing on my other shackle, and before I know it, she has shot her gunblade, immediately breaking the shackle.

With the sudden loss of support, my body falls to the ground, my legs too weak to support me. But I won't let such weakness prevent me from moving, I don't even care about my wrists that are throbbing violently. I quickly pull myself off the ground, stumbling towards the bars, eager to reach Lightning.

"Lightning!"

* * *

><p><em>She's free. <em>

Lightning's heart beats faster, she wants nothing else but to approach Serah and makes sure she really is okay. But these damn guards are blocking her way—

"Lightning!"

Lightning grits her teeth when she hears that voice calling out for her, a voice so filled with longing. Her sister is right there, so close, only separated by some bars…

"ENOUGH!"

Lightning shouts furiously, with a sudden surge of energy she swipes her gunblade at the nearest guard. It breaks his defense, slashing him straight on his torso. Without wasting time to watch him fall, Lightning quickly sends a kick onto another guard's chest, so powerful that it sends him crashing onto his comrade. Her path now open, Lightning quickly aims her gunblade to the lock on Serah's cell—

* * *

><p>She's taken all of them down, no other guards are left in the room. I'm so close to her! Only these stupid bars are blocking me…<p>

CLANG!

I jerk, startled, but soon realizes that Lightning has shot the lock to my cell door as well. It is falling to the ground, destroyed. The door can be opened now; I stumble hurriedly towards it—

* * *

><p>The lock's dropped, Serah can get out of that cell now. Lightning dashes towards the cell, holstering her gunblade as she runs. She no longer needs it, no more guards are left in the room.<p>

She can reach Serah now, she can already see her sister stumbling to the door—

* * *

><p>I totally ignore my shaky legs, I totally ignore my trembling arms—all I care about is to move faster. I crashes into the door, my weight swinging it open immediately. I stumble out hurriedly, dashing forward—<p>

And I crash into _her _arms, the arms I've been missing so much, yearning for so much. Those arms immediately wrap tightly around me, hugging me so firmly, preventing me from falling. Despite my legs have finally given out, but I remain standing, supported solely by those strong arms. I wrap my own arms around her too, feeling her toned, solid form against my arms. And I know immediately that this isn't a dream, that Lightning really has come, that the nightmare has finally ended.

My tears and laughter burst out at the same time.

"Lightning… sis!"

* * *

><p>Lightning's heart is filled with relief, relief so intense that it sends her arms shaking. She can feel Serah shaking in her embrace too, and so she tightens her grip, supporting her sister. Even though the exhaustion from all the fighting has started to gnaw painfully on her limbs, Lightning ignores it. Right here, right now, with Serah finally safe in her arms… it's more than enough to make Lightning forget her pain. She wouldn't want to let go of Serah, not even if a guard suddenly shoot her on the back.<p>

Slowly, she dares herself to look down into her sister's eyes.

Those baby blues, those pools the color of the sky… Those eyes she's missed so much. Those eyes are now staring back right into hers. And although they are brimming with tears, but Lightning sees a smile spreading on Serah's face too, that familiar angelic smile. Right then, the iron bands that have been binding Lightning's heart since she woke up after that fight with Barthandelus disappear.

Serah is alive, Serah is fine, she is finally in her arms again. Her sister is back.

And Lightning feels her own smile start spreading.

* * *

><p>I look up to see her face, shaking my head to get rid of the tears that are obstructing my view. Once they clear away, I can see Lightning perfectly. And a smile is spreading on her face.<p>

With my tears still flowing out, I let out a choked giggle and stroke her soft, wispy bangs. Her deep blue eyes are boring into mine, and I can see relief filling them. I wasn't the only one suffering; Lightning has been, too.

But then, I suddenly see her face darkens. I raise my eyebrows in surprise, especially when Lightning releases her hug and holds me at an arm's length. Her sapphire eyes are now suddenly filled with… guilt?

"Serah, I…" Lightning starts, her voice thick with sadness. I can only stare back silently at her, surprised. She seems to have a difficulty expressing her train of thoughts, but soon she opens her mouth again.

"Serah, I'm sorry. No matter what I do, I can never fully atone my mistakes… Please, forgive me…"

At first I was so shocked to hear her saying it, but soon I find my voice again and cut her words.

"Wait, Light! What's this? Why are you apologizing?" I ask, frowning in confusion.

Lightning stares back at me, her eyes still emanating guilt.

"It was my fault that you had to go through all this, Serah… Because I failed to protect you back then, you had to be imprisoned here for so long… I'm sor—"

Immediately I cut her there.

"Lightning, what the hell are you talking about! You are the one coming to save me, I should be thanking you; not having you apologizing to me! So stop apologizing, it wasn't your fault!" I snap, staring at her with anger mixed with disbelief in my eyes.

_Seriously… She is the one going through all the fights to save me, and yet she is apologizing for it?_

"But Serah… even then, I took too long to get here… You must be suffering all this time before I came…" Lightning whispers, glancing at my bleeding wrists. "So it was my fault that—"

I let out a growl then, successfully silencing her. Really, her selflessness is too much. She has to stop thinking about me, and think more about herself. Knowing her, I'm sure she's been doing her best to get here, doing her best to reach me as soon as possible. Besides, she is already here; all those sufferings I've experienced in this prison no longer feel real with her presence. And with her coming to save me, now I no longer have to endure all those tortures anymore. She's banished my nightmare away, made my wish come true… She's simply done so much for me. Yet she is still blaming herself. I huff.

"Lightning, it's not your fault. You've done your best… you've come for me. I never blamed you, not once. So stop blaming yourself. You're here now, and that's all that matters to me. Thank you so much… for saving me."

Lightning falls silent upon hearing this, she can only stare silently into my eyes. However, when she opens her mouth to answer, suddenly a loud boom resonates through the air.

Quick as flash, Lightning turns around; throwing her left arm in front of me. At the same time, her right hand flies to her gunblade's handle, drawing it out in its blade form in one quick motion.

My mouth hangs open in fear, as I see another wave of guards entering the room. And they are heading right towards us, their weapons glimmering under the torches' light. As they enter, manadrive forcefields can be seen creeping up the doors, blocking all the exits. We are trapped, with all these guards… And if they catch us, I will be thrown again into that dark cell…

This thought frightens me so much, a small whimper escapes my lips as my heart beats faster in fear. Subconsciously, I step closer to Lightning, holding on to the back of her overcoat desperately. I don't want to be imprisoned again, I don't want to be separated from her again… But there are so many guards… they can—

"Don't worry. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

My head shoots up when I hear that voice of Lightning's, and despite I can't see her face, I can still hear the fury in her voice.

Without turning, Lightning speaks again, "They were the ones hurting you… right?" She glances at my bleeding wrists, and the sight seems to have answered her question. I see her jaws tighten.

"…I'll rip them all to shreds for what they've done."

* * *

><p>They say a mother protecting her child is the most ferocious of all beasts. Technically Lightning isn't a mother, but the same concept still works for her. Furthermore, she is wounded and cornered—which only raises her ferocity.<p>

_We will get outta here._

Lightning bares her teeth in a feral snarl at the guards, her body leaning forward, ready to strike. Adrenaline and rage rush within her, giving her strength, and Lightning embraces it with a twisted glee.

_Oh, I'm so gonna rip all of you into shreds now. _

With that, Lightning dashes away from Serah's grip, throwing herself right into the midst of the guards, slashing them without remorse.

* * *

><p>I can only gape, petrified, when Lightning tears herself away from my grip. I stare at her in disbelief when she throws herself right into the core of the approaching guards, slashing her gunblade wildly.<p>

I can't believe this—one moment she was my sister, holding me close; the next moment she has turned into this… bloodthirsty beast. I've seen those guards, I've realized that they must be mere backup personnel. They've only been sent to stop us because all other Zalera's guards are already down. But Lightning, she doesn't seem to have noticed this. She is attacking those guards mercilessly, although some of them are already trying to flee.

But then, I am snapped out of my state of shock when someone calls my name.

"Serah! Oi, little pinknette, over here!"

I turn around, right to see Fang and Vanille dashing out from a tunnel I have never noticed before. It is located out of my field of vision while I was imprisoned in that cell, that's why I haven't noticed it till now. Relief floods into me when I see them; they both look alive and well. Vanille is still wearing her usual cheerful smile, while Fang is grinning her usual smirk.

But then, my heart jolts in happiness again when I see the people running out of the tunnel behind Fang and Vanille.

"Sazh! Hope! Snow!" I call out to them immediately, another wave of relief hitting me. I start running towards them. _They are safe, too…_

Sazh, Hope and Snow are looking almost as bad as I do, but their wrists aren't bleeding so badly. Right, I must be the only one tugging so furiously at my shackles, especially when I saw Lightning just now. The three of them shout their reply back, their faces shining in relief too when they see me alive and safe. However, we've got no time for a proper reunion in this situation.

Meanwhile, Fang is unleashing her Highwind at the wall. I let out a small surprised cry when I see it collapsing, but soon afterwards hope rises in my heart as well. Through that hole in the wall, sunlight is shining through. Morning has arrived. And we can get outta this place soon enough.

"Alright, jump through! We've got to get outta here before real reinforcements arrive!" Fang shouts, gesturing with her hand for us to jump out of the hole. "It's a small drop out there, but we'll be fine!" she says, squinting out of the hole against the sunlight.

Real reinforcements… so Fang, too, has realized that the group of guards Lightning is fighting is mere backup personnel. They do not actually pose much threat; we can simply escape now! But Lightning…

I turn around, looking for Lightning, and a small gasp escapes my lips when I see her.

Lightning is still berserk, she is still attacking the guards blindly. She simply charges right into the midst of them all, slashing her gunblade left and right, falling guards all around her. However, she is being hurt as well; her all-out attacks are foregoing defense. Everytime she throws herself into a group of guards, she would beat them all, but she'd suffer some damage too. A slash to her arm, a bruise to her shoulder, a gash to her thigh… She's even received a slash to her midriff, but luckily it only manages to rip her overcoat. It is flapping open now, but Light ignores it. She continues attacking.

And I can only watch her in terror. She is looking so ferocious, so uncontrolled, so… beastly. The way she keeps attacking without caring about her own defense, the way she keeps assaulting these guards even though we can actually just escape, all of them do not feel like something Lightning will do.

I know Lightning has always been fierce, even when we were young. But her fierceness is always comforting. It's not the kind of fierceness that conquers and tortures others, but one that protects something. To know that all that fierceness, all that strength, is meant to shield me from dangers; it makes me feel safe. That's how Lightning's always been… In addition, she only fights when there is a reason to. So why is she doing this right now? Keep fighting when it is no longer necessary? What is she going berserk for?

Then suddenly, I feel someone grabs my arm. I turn around to see Vanille, and she is staring at Lightning worriedly, too. Behind her, I see that Fang has forced the others to jump out; I see the tail of Snow's trenchcoat disappearing over its edge. I know that we have to act fast, we can't waste any time… but we can't leave without—

"Serah, you've got to stop her! Stop Lightning!" Suddenly Vanille says, urgency and concern fill her voice.

Immediately I look down at her, unable to believe what she just said. Her eyes are filled with panic; she must be wanting to get out of this place while we can. But did she just ask me to… stop Lightning? While she is definitely going berserk, being so out of herself?

"Vanille, I can't! I mean, look at her; she is going berserk out there! It's so unlike her, she doesn't usually fight without reason like this… That's not… Lightning…"

I was just trying to explain my fear to Vanille, but I suddenly wince when she grabs my shoulders, shaking me furiously. I've never seen her this angry before.

"What on Gran Pulse are you talking about? That's Lightning right there! That's your sister, fighting for you! Serah, I know she is berserk right now, I know she isn't acting like how she usually does, but that's still your sister! I've no time to tell you what we've gone through, but if you know, you'll see why she is unleashing her fury like this! Come on, Serah, I know she is so furious right now, but she still loves you; she'll stop if _you _ask her! Only you can stop her!"

I stare at Vanille. She is getting all worked up because I'm doubting Lightning; she seems to care so much about Light. Not just because we might get trapped here if we don't get Light to stop and escape with us soon, but there is something else. Something… closer. What's happened during their journey, actually? They seem… more bonded than ever, Vanille and Fang and Lightning.

"Come on, Serah, can't you see Light is getting hurt too? She's hurt fighting for you!"

Upon hearing those words, even though I'm still petrified with fear, my mind suddenly brings back a half-forgotten memory… one that is so similar to this.

* * *

><p>That day was a day in our childhood, a mere few weeks after our parents passed away. That time I still couldn't deal with our parents passing, but Lightning was already picking herself up from her slump. She had been the one taking care of everything, while I was still preoccupied with my sadness and despair. Although we were both actually still so young back then…<p>

Since our parents had died, we couldn't stay alone in our old apartment. Thus we had been sent to an orphanage on the other side of Bodhum, the part of town we'd never been to before. And we had to enter a new school there, in the middle of the school year. We'd be real strangers; new and unwanted, barging in so suddenly, at the point of time when all students had known each other for a while. We'd have absolutely no one we know there.

The first few days at school were fine, but one day this group of boys from my class pranked me. They made fun of my pink hair, mocking and pulling at it. Being so young and little, I could only cry, trying to run away from them. But they caught me, and locked me inside the school's storeroom. It was after-school; no one would wander around there. I panicked, of course, banging the door and shouting for help but to no avail. And so I just sat there alone in the dark, crying, fear consuming every part of my heart.

However, after what felt like hours of endless fear, help finally came. Lightning found me; she had been looking for me since her class got dismissed for the day. We used to go home together, despite our class years were different. But when I didn't turn up after she waited for so long, Lightning got worried and started looking for me.

And that was how she came to find me in that dark storeroom, crying, calling out for Mom. Who was no longer there. I knew she wasn't there, I knew she wouldn't come, but her presence still burned so strongly in my mind. She had only been gone for a few weeks, and I still couldn't accept her and dad's passing. That was why I kept calling out for Mom, hoping that somehow she would come. But no, she didn't come. Lightning came instead.

Light was furious; she asked me who had pranked me, who had dared to do it to me.

Between my sobs, I told her about those boys, and Light recognized their names. They were really bullies; they were supposed to be in the same class year as Lightning, but they retained in my class because of their low grades. That explained why their bodies were so big, why they acted like they owned the school. Because maybe they did. Maybe they had been terrorizing the students all this time, and me being a new student just hadn't known it.

I kept crying even as Light took me back to the orphanage. I didn't understand how those boys could be so heartless. I mean, I was new to the school, frightened and nervous, in addition to having to deal with losing my parents so suddenly… yet they still thought pranking me would be funny? It might be for them, but it wasn't for me. I was really frightened…

At the orphanage, I went straight into my room and locked myself in. I didn't want to be with Lightning; I wanted Mom. I wanted Mom who could always soothe me with her calming words, with her kind face. But Light couldn't do that. She had never been good in comforting people. So I just buried myself under the pillows and cried, uncaring about what Lightning was doing after I left her outside.

* * *

><p>After a few hours, I finally stopped crying and went out from my room. However, I couldn't find Lightning at the orphanage. She must have left somewhere while I was crying in my room…<p>

It was nearing sunset, and I began to worry about her. Finally I set out to look for Light. I searched for her in the nearby beach, at the park, around the secluded woods, anywhere she usually went to; but I just couldn't find her.

After a while, I got so tired and gave up searching. I started walking back to the orphanage, hoping that she might have come home. All around me was quiet, except for the occasional squawks of the birds which were going home to their nests. There was no one else around in that park—

Then suddenly I heard that familiar voice behind me.

"What are you doing outside this late…Serah?"

I turned around immediately, startled, but I let out my breath when I saw Lightning standing right behind me. Before I could say anything to her, she already scowled and said, "I told you, you are not allowed to go outside after sunset."

With my initial shock gone, I scoffed. "Hmph, you are one to talk! Technically, now isn't 'after sunset' you know? It is still 'sunset'. Besides, how about you? You are outside too!" I glared back at Lightning, annoyed by how she was acting. I was pranked and yet she left me alone without comforting me? I knew she's never been good in comforting, but what pissed me off is the fact that she'd left. Like, she totally didn't care about me, she just left me crying by myself. Moreover, she'd left to Etro-knows-where for so long that I actually had to worry and look for her in my already-upset state.

When Light just kept silent, I finally huffed exasperatedly.

"Alright, that's it! Let's just go back," I said, resuming my walk towards the orphanage. Still without saying anything, Lightning fell into step on my right.

But as we walked, I realized the way she walked was odd. Her usual proud stride was no longer there; instead her walk looked somewhat… hindered?

Then I looked down and saw her bruised knuckles.

"Lightning!" I shouted angrily, gasping.

Without giving her time to react, I immediately pushed her down to sit on one of the park benches along the side of the road. She stared at me in surprise, but her eyes looked guilty.

"What the hell have you been doing? You're hurt! I don't care what your reason is, spill now! What happened?" I demanded, angry yet worried.

Lightning didn't want to answer straight away, but I managed to finally pry it out of her.

I learned that immediately after she saw me locking myself in my room, she knew there was nothing much she could do. She knew she wasn't good in comforting people with words. So she did what she's good at: taking actions. She left and beat up those bullies, teaching them not to mess with her and me.

I could only stare at her in disbelief after hearing what happened.

"But… but Light! There were three of them!" I finally stuttered, horrified. I just couldn't picture Lightning, with her slim build, fighting those three big bullies alone.

Lightning just scoffed. "Serah, they weren't that strong."

'Weren't that strong'… But she was still injured. Deciding not to ask her too many questions there, I quickly took her home and forced her to sit idly on the bed while I bandaged her knuckles. Then I glared at her again.

"Any other injury?" I asked.

Lightning shook her head, standing up to leave. But she couldn't fool me. She just didn't want me to worry over her injuries, that was why she tried to hide them.

Growling, I grabbed her arm, stopping her. Before she could squirm away, I lifted her shirt up to reveal a deep bruise on her hip.

"Light!" I gritted my teeth, furious beyond words. Not only had she gone fighting, but she was even trying to hide her injuries!

"You… you foolhardy! Why the hell are you trying to hide it? Look at that bruise!" I winced, staring at it. No wonder her walk was hindered; every step must be hurting her.

I still couldn't understand why and how she could be so reckless, so stupid. But one thing was sure: she did it for me. And I couldn't help but feel guilty when I saw that deep bruise on her hip.

* * *

><p>And isn't that what is happening now? Lightning is furious, because of the injustice that these guards have done to me. She wasn't the one being tortured, but she is all the more furious because <em>I<em> was the one tortured. She just wants to exact revenge on these cruel guards for me. She is furious for me. It's still the same thing; Lightning is exacting her fierceness onto these people, the danger, that was threatening me. She is trying to protect me.

But there is no more reason to! These guards are no longer torturing me. I don't want revenge on them, not anymore. I just want to go home, with Lightning and the others. Moreover, Lightning is getting hurt. Because she is fighting for me, just like Vanille said.

Vanille is right. No matter how frightening she may look right now, Lightning is still my sister.

"You're right, Vanille… I'll stop her!"

With that, I immediately dash towards Lightning, ignoring all the guards around me. They were too busy trying to flee from Lightning to notice me after all. So I run all the way through, until I was directly behind Light. I see her then, slashing her gunblade around, her arms glistening with thin streams of blood flowing out from the cuts on them. But she still fights. She looks so furious, her eyes are only focused on the guards, wanting to cut them to shreds. One would be so afraid to reach her, fearing she might slash them as well. But I know one thing for sure: Lightning will never hurt me.

With that, I rush in to hug her waist from behind, mildly restraining her from attacking more guards. I don't even think about the possibility that she may attack me out of reflex; Lightning just won't hurt me.

I was right. Lightning stops immediately and turns to face me, her eyes no longer looking furious. Upon feeling my touch, they have returned to their usual cold blue, staring at me in puzzlement.

I immediately use the chance to speak to her. "Light, let's just go! Fang and Vanille, they've freed the others; we have no more reason to be here, so let's escape before their reinforcements arrive! Please, Light, stop fighting… I just want to get home with you…"

My words are soft, yet she hears them all. And I know that they have impacted her. All fury seems to leave her eyes and without further ado, she sheathes her gunblade, before grabbing my arm and drags me with her towards the others.

Silently, I feel somewhat happy. Lightning listens to me… even in her furious state. Even with just those simple words, I could stop her while all those guards' weapons couldn't.

We soon reach Vanille, and I see her face filled with relief as she sees Lightning is back. She smiles at us, starts skipping towards the hole in the wall. Fang is standing beside it, smirking lazily at Lightning.

"Done de-stressing yourself?" she asks casually, raising her eyebrow. To this, Lightning just growls and mutters something that sounds like 'not really.'

Fang lets out a bark of laughter, shrugging. "Well, I'm sorry to disturb ya, Light, but we really have to get going."

"Right. Let's go," Lightning replies, grabbing me into her arms and lifting me up. I yelp in surprise, but I soon feel thankful. I realize that my legs are still somewhat weak, so it may give me trouble if I am to jump out by myself.

And so, with me safe in Lightning's arms and Fang and Vanille following right behind us, we jump out of the hole in the wall towards freedom.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry for the late update... again. Mid-Year exams were over one week ago, actually, but I still have the Mother Tongue O-Level this Monday to prepare for. But my greatest problem comes from my Maths teacher, who scolded me for "performing badly during the exam". Seriously, dude, I only got B! How 'bad' is that? D: Besides, I get A for all my other subjects, so I dont think I deserve his scolding. Ha, the point is, I was kinda upset these few days, thus the late update ^^"_

_And. I just got some... seriousgirlcrushonmyfriend ._. dont bash me please OTL_

_Gah, but just ignore all those ramblings, please. I just have to thank my reviewer, Kirika, for kicking me back up from my slump :P It is thanks to him/her (LOL I suspect it's a her? xD) that I can drag myself to sit there in front of the computer and start writing ^^ this chapter's for ya, pal :3_

_Well, that being said, just enjoy this chap, guys~ :DDD do forgive my ranting, I'm kinda stressed these days. See ya soon, hopefully ^^ thanks again for all the reviews :3_


	34. Chapter 34

"Freedom, nonsense! This doesn't feel one bit like freedom!" Sazh grunts, panting heavily as he runs up the rocky hill located behind Zalera with us. "Freedom for me means cozy bed to sleep today off!"

Right, after we jumped out of that hole Fang made in the prison wall, we found ourselves at the area behind Zalera. There were a few guards there, but Fang, Lightning and Vanille took care of them with no problem. Sazh, Hope, Snow and I wanted to help, but they just wouldn't let us. To be honest, I did still feel somewhat weak although Vanille had given each of us a vial of Potion to recover some of our energy. We hadn't gotten the time to heal properly yet… The Potion did give us enough strength to keep running, but not fighting.

On the bright side, I found out to my delight that Fang and Vanille had managed to forage through the arsenal room while looking for Sazh, Snow and Hope. They've managed to find our confiscated weapons there, including Morning Glory. I hadn't seen it just now because Snow was the one carrying it.

However, now we still have to make our way to the Strahl. We have to climb up the hill whence Light parked the airship, but the hill turns out to be quite high. So here we are, wheezing as we make our way up.

"By the way, are you guys really okay?" Fang suddenly asks, sprinting up the hill with no problem at all beside Lightning. "The jailers didn't torture you, right?"

"Nah, no torture at all! We just had to stay unmoving there in the cell, hanging off the damn shackles!" Sazh replies somewhat sarcastically. He tries jumping over a large rock, but almost tumbles on it.

"What he says!" Snow agrees, shrugging. "Wasn't exactly a comfortable place, but I just knew you guys would come." He nods at Lightning, Fang and Vanille.

"Thanks… for coming for us," Hope pants, struggling to keep up with Light. He still looks somewhat pale, but his eyes are shining with determination as he runs slightly behind Lightning.

"No problem, yea? We were dead worried about you guys, too! Especially Light here," Fang replies, grinning as she slaps Lightning's shoulder playfully. To my surprise, Lightning doesn't snap back at Fang. She merely ignores her, as if… as if she's gotten used to Fang's antiques.

"But then again, were you guys hurt?" Vanille asks worriedly, eyeing the four of us.

"Only a few cuts from the shackles and extreme hunger plus exhaustion; other than that, nothing!" Sazh answers sarcastically again. Looks like even prison cannot kill his dry sense of humour.

Vanille giggles, grinning at Sazh. "Well, at least you guys won't drop dead now, right? Don't worry, we'll heal and give you something to eat when we reach somewhere safe!" she chirps.

"And how long more until we reach that safe place you talk abo—whoa!"

Right then, we have finally reached the top of the hill. Lightning has taken out something from her leg pouch, and when she presses it, suddenly the Strahl comes into view right above our heads. Another button, the door on the airship's belly opens and a metal ladder falls for us.

"No way!" Sazh says, squinting against the sun to look at the airship. "_The Strahl_? How the hell did you guys get this luxury airship?" he asks, looking amazed. In fact, I didn't even recognize the Strahl's name, how much more its shape. But Sazh was a pilot, so I guess he knows much about airships…

"Long story, old man! Just take it that Light's got some taste in choosing rides!" Fang replies, hopping onto the ladder and starts climbing. We immediately follow her, knowing that Zalera's reinforcements could arrive any time.

* * *

><p>"Hey, what are we gonna do? They are right behind us!"<p>

All of us, except Sazh who is driving, turn around to see the airships chasing ours. As soon as Sazh flew the Strahl, the first few pursuit airships from Zalera have been trying to keep up with us, and they've even started shooting.

Luckily, Sazh is a skilled pilot; he manages to maneuver the Strahl to dodge all attacks. But our luck may run out soon…

"Light, we need plan! How are we gonna lose them?" Fang growls, her hand holding on firmly to her seat as the Strahl shakes heavily, result of Sazh flying it straight into a thick cloud.

"Calm down, I've got one! Now listen!" Lightning growls back, her sharp blue eyes never leaving the faint shapes of our pursuers among the clouds.

"What?" Snow asks, bending over to listen to Lightning, just like the rest of us.

"Sazh, I need you to fly this airship straight into the thickest clouds you can find next! It'll obstruct those pursuers' view while we escape, and I'm sure with autopilot the Strahl can keep going and luring those airships away!" Lightning shouts, making sure Sazh can hear her voice amidst all the rumbling of the machines.

Sazh nods to show he's heard her, but he is wearing a frown. "But then, Soldier Girl, what do you mean by 'escape'? Eden's a few hundred feet below us, y'know!"

"We will jump."

Immediately all of our jaws drop upon hearing Lightning's words. Jump? From an airship? Hundreds of feet above ground?

"How are we going to survive a fall like that?" Snow asks, seeming very reluctant.

However, it is Hope who answers the question. "We'll use Grav-con unit! Correct, Light?" he turns to face Lightning, asking for confirmation. When he sees her nodding, a soft smile spreads on his face. I kinda miss seeing his smile… we've been separated for quite long, despite we were actually jailed in the same prison. But in this situation, we can't just relax and reunite properly yet. We have to focus on surviving first!

Besides, now that Hope's mentioned it, the plan doesn't seem too crazy anymore. We all know how useful Lightning's grav-con unit is; it will surely be able to stop our fall, even from a hundred feet. In that case, the plan is a good one.

"Alright then, all agree?" Fang asks on Lightning's behalf, smirking in satisfaction when she sees everyone nodding in agreement.

"Well, we can't waste anymore time! Here comes the clouds!" Sazh suddenly shouts, attracting our attention to the windows. Right, out there are the thickest clouds I've ever seen.

And so before we know it, we've entered the clouds, the white world filled with different shapes. However, we have no time to admire it; as soon as we enter the clouds, Sazh shifts the control to autopilot.

"And I was hoping we can keep this sumptuous Strahl for free…" I hear him grumbling.

Silently I agree. It will be quite a waste to use an airship this nice and luxurious as decoy… but we have no other choice, no other plan.

"Come on, then! Jump out!"

Once again, Fang is the one opening the way out for us. She has slammed the Strahl's door open, her raven hair swaying wildly in the fast wind. Without further ado, Lightning grabs Fafnir that was lying on one of the Strahl's seats before dashing towards the opened door. In her hand, I see the glimmer of the grav-con unit that will be essential for our survival.

Then Lightning leaps out of the door without hesitation, Fang following her immediately. The rest of us don't even have the time to hesitate; our pursuers are hot on our heels. So I just close my eyes so as not to see the clouds hovering below, before following Vanille jumping out of the airship.

* * *

><p>Our fall lasts for a few seconds, but to me it feels so long. I almost went insane when falling; the speed is so frightening, the howl of the wind in my ears so loud. The winds bite into my body, cold and painful as they sting my bleeding wrists. I can never understand how Lightning actually gets used to jumping off high places like this.<p>

However, luckily the crazy fall ends soon. Before I know it, I've felt the familiar odd feeling as my body falls into the grav-con unit. The others are falling all around me, so I immediately move aside.

* * *

><p>No rest for the weary. This situation is bringing that phrase into a whole new level, subconsciously increasing my loathing to that phrase. Even though we have managed to escape, even though we can see the pursuing airships racing above our heads after the empty Strahl, but we can't relax just yet. Without Sazh's piloting skills, those airships will surely secure the Strahl soon. They would find out that we've escaped and send soldiers to look for us, ASAP. And so that's why we have to hastily make our way out of this secluded countryside, towards Eden Station where Lightning prompts us to go. We only stop for a while near a small stream to wash the blood and dirt off our bodies.<p>

Frankly, I am quite surprised when Lightning told us to go to Eden Station. That station only has services to other cities in Cocoon, which means we will be heading to one of them. All along, I thought we would go back to Pulse...

But then again, after I think about it, I realize it is actually a good plan. PSICOM would surely think that we'd run back to Pulse, they'd never think that we'd stay in Cocoon. Plus, with their arrogance and cowardness, I'm sure they wouldn't inform the citizens about our breaking out from Zalera. Thus, the citizens will still be oblivious, still indifferent towards our presence. We can easily get into any town we want and blend in with the people.

* * *

><p>When we finally reach Eden Station, we are already panting and somewhat panic. We know that the Strahl must have surely been captured; pursuit may come anytime now. But we cannot just jump onto a train and leave, we still have to wait for the damn train to come. As we stand there at the outdoor train platform, looking up at the sky nervously for any sign of airships, I realize that some people do spare a glance at Fang and Vanille. Probably because of their odd clothing… but as typical Cocoon citizens, soon they continue with their business as usual. Other than that, no one actually notices us.<p>

A sudden loud howling noise snaps my attention back, and I realize that the train has finally arrived. The train is heading for Palumpolum, then Nautilus and lastly Bodhum. Since it's currently winter time, most people prefer to stay at home and do not travel much; which is why the train is quite empty. In fact, this is actually one of the mere three trains operating for the day. We are lucky we didn't miss it.

"Train to freedom!" Sazh shouts as the train stops right in front of us, its compartment doors slamming open. We wait impatiently for some of the passengers to alight, getting more and more nervous by each second; before finally dashing onto the safety of the compartment.

But then, Lady Luck wasn't exactly on our side.

Just when the train starts to move slowly out of the station and we hurry to scramble onto the compartments, suddenly we hear loud gasps from the few people in the station. I turn around, right to see a whole troop of PSICOM soldiers dashing into the station. And I know immediately what PSICOM is capable of; they can simply barge into the station's main office and use the machines there to stop our train.

I can't believe this. We are so close to freedom, yet they are here!

"Serah, jump up, quick!" I turn when Vanille calls out to me. She has hopped onto the compartment, as well as Snow, Sazh and Hope. Meanwhile, all the other people in the station have made themselves scarce. If we hop on fast enough, there is still a chance that the train will pull out so fast that even the main machines cannot stop it… Fuelled by this hope, I quickly follow Vanille and jump; Fang doing the same thing beside me.

As soon as I manage to jump onto the compartment, bruising my knee slightly at the contact, I quickly turn around and extend my hand for Lightning. She is running beside the train which has started to move faster now, trying to find an opportunity to jump up.

* * *

><p>Lightning curses, glancing over her shoulder. PSICOM soldiers… she's had more than enough of these guys! She glances back at Serah, who is already aboard the train. Her hand is outstretched for her…<p>

But really, can they escape so easily, just like that? If she jumps onto the train, the PSICOM will soon stop it. No, the only way to really ensure their escape is to _stop _the PSICOM. Eliminate this group of scums, so they won't be able to stop the train.

That's the only way.

Making her decision, Lightning stops running.

Upon seeing this, Serah immediately reacts, flailing her arms at Lightning. "Lightning! What are you doing? Hop on, quick!"

But Lightning doesn't intend to hop on at all. She swings her arm at Serah, gesturing for her sister to leave. "Serah, go and take them all to Bodhum! Take them to our place, you'll be safe there!"

"But what about you, Light?" Serah shouts as loudly as she can, trying to beat the train's noises. Dread begins to creep into her as she sees Lightning standing alone on the platform, not budging at all despite the train that has begun to pull out of the station.

"I'll hold these guys off! You bring our friends to our home, okay? I'll get there myself as soon as I finish them off!" Lightning shouts back.

"No way! You can't just stay alone, Light! I can't lose you again, so soon after I've found you!"

By then, the train has begun speeding up. Soon it will leave the station, and Lightning won't be able to hop onto it at all. Not that she wants to, anyway. She's made up her decision.

"Don't worry, Serah, I'll be fine! These guys are just foot soldiers and I can handle them myself! I'll catch up with you guys soon, I promise!"

Serah is about to protest again, she even starts moving towards the edge of the compartment's opened door, trying to hop off. However, while the others are still gaping in surprise at Lightning's sudden plan, Fang already realized that Lightning is right. Someone has to hold off these PSICOM, in order for the rest of 'em to escape.

Thus, Fang grabs Serah's arm tightly, preventing her from hopping off the train to Lightning. With that, the huntress shouts, amidst the sound of the train gaining speed and moving faster. "All right, go get 'em, Light! We'll be waiting for ya, so don't you dare losing! Once you're back with us… we'll have a proper celebration of our victory, ya hear me?"

Lightning smirks, grateful for her battle partner's quick understanding and action. She's sure Fang can protect Serah if anything happens, while her sister leads the others to their home. Then… celebration, huh?

"Whatever!" Lightning shouts back at Fang, throwing Fafnir to her. The huntress catches the big sword effortlessly, passing it to Vanille who is standing beside her.

"And here's something for ya!" Fang yells again, this time throwing something to Lightning as well.

Just like Fang, Lightning catches the thrown object easily. She glances at it and realizes that it is actually an Elixir, so she downs it quickly. Immediately all her wounds close and she feels to her satisfaction that her energy returns fully.

With that, Lightning turns her back on her friends to face the enemies.

_Now, for a proper payback to these scums._

Meanwhile, the train leaves the station, with the other six l'Cie safely on board.

* * *

><p>I still can't believe what has just happened. Lightning is staying behind, again? While we have just met for a few hours? What if she doesn't return, what if she can't reach Bodhum?<p>

Snow, Sazh and Hope are looking dumbstruck too, but Fang and Vanille look calm. Fang is putting Fafnir on one of the seats in this empty compartment, while Vanille is giving out more Potions and starts healing our wounds properly. I receive the Potions and drink it too, feeling my energy returning immediately and the wounds on my wrists closing. But still, Lightning…

That's when Fang suddenly huffs and talks to me.

"Hey, li'l pink one. Don't worry too much, yea? You should know, Lightning is strong. She _will_ win and reunite with us again, I'm sure of it."

I look up at her, my eyes still vacant with worry. But then Vanille speaks up too.

"She's right, Serah. Light's promised, hasn't she? And she always keeps her promises…"

I huff. Now, what they're saying is indeed true… but still…

"Really, there's nothing to worry about. In fact, we should be worried about those PSICOM, yea? They have to face Lightning's fury," Fang chuckles. "I'll tell you what we've gone through to reach Zalera later, but for now you just have to know that Light has been… uh, restraining her fury so far. It'd be best for her to get this chance to pour out all the stress," she continues, patting my shoulder.

"She'll be back before you know it," Vanille adds, nodding assuringly at me with her gentle smile.

Even in this situation, I can't help but feeling a bit ticked off at Lightning. If what Fang and Vanille said it's true, then half of the reason of her staying back so stubbornly is… her hot head.

Trying to suppress a growl, I take a deep breath and glance out of the train's window at the scenery swishing past. For now, I can only believe that Lightning will take care of those soldiers fast and catch up with us… there is nothing much I can do anyway. Lightning has stubbornly made her decision based on her stupid short temper and she's made it damn sure that we can't stop her. Typical. She is so getting an earful from me when she gets back later.

_You'd better be okay, Light, because I'll give you a good scolding soon. Before then, don't you dare getting yourself killed… foolhardy sister._

* * *

><p><em>She is a strange one.<em>

One of the PSICOM soldiers in Eden station, a young corporal, is scrutinizing Lightning as he stands amongst his comrades. They have been given an urgent order to get to Eden Station, halt all train departures and search for certain seven individuals. The description they received was precise; the troop had easily recognized the seven fugitives hopping onto the train in their attempt to escape. The troop's Lieutenant had then tried to get into the main office to stop the train, but this pink-haired woman had stood on his way, preventing him from stopping the train. It must be to allow her friends to escape. Remarkable courage, really… especially since she is _alone _facing this whole troop of hundreds of soldiers.

However, the woman doesn't look the least bit afraid. In fact, she is just standing there without any expression on her face, with her weapon in its gun form aimed straight at the troop. Despite she is all alone, despite her friends have all left her, but she can still glare ever so coldly, ever so stoically at the soldiers before her. Who are more than ready to kill her the moment the lieutenant gives his order.

With their number, the corporal knows that logically it is impossible for the woman to leave this place alive. He should have nothing to be afraid of; yet there is something about this woman that raises an instinctive fear in him. Probably it's the way her piercing blue eyes glare coldly at the ranks. Probably it's the way she simply cocks her head indifferently when the whole troop aim their weapons at her. Or probably it's just the way she carries herself, an absolute confidence and fearlessness emanating from her.

Without knowing exactly why, the corporal gulps nervously. This woman looks very experienced in battles; her toned body and ability to wield a gunblade already proved that. But the scarier factor is the fact that she looks like she is still hiding some power; power beyond his understanding, something greater than his mere Manadrive magic.

Right then, the wind blows and Lightning's torn overcoat flaps. It was only for a few seconds, but the corporal has clearly seen Lightning's toned stomach and the huge scar from her fight with Yojimbo. It jags through the middle of her stomach to her left waist, stopping just above her hip bone. That bright red, gaping scar totally shocks him; until now, he's only seen that kind of severe wounds on dead bodies. He's never thought someone can actually survive a wound that big. And just what kind of monster has this woman fought to mark her with such a ghastly scar? How much pain had she gone through when that wound tore her stomach? No, the corporal doesn't want to know.

Then the corporal looks up and accidentally meets Lightning's glare. He immediately feels as if he has been stabbed by blue spears, and he subconsciously shudders. He recognizes that look. That's the kind of look that says 'don't mess with me, I've gone through and survived way more terrible fights than all of you have ever had combined.'

This woman is dangerous. Very dangerous. Despite their number, somehow the corporal knows this woman can actually take them on and inflict serious damage. Yet he has no choice; the Lieutenant has ordered them to attack.

And so, the whole troop starts rushing forward to attack, forcing the corporal to charge forward as well.

Fear spikes in the corporal's heart as he gets closer to the pink-haired woman. She still hasn't moved, but he knows that the moment she does, it would mean doom.

This woman is deadly. This woman is lethal.

But she _is_ beautiful, undeniably.


	35. Chapter 35

The seaside city of Bodhum.

I know I'm home the moment we step out of the train. The familiar smell of seawater immediately hits us; brought by the gentle, ever-blowing sea breeze. This is the scent I've smelled so many times before, something I've unconsciously missed. The scent of home.

As soon as we walk out of the train station, we can already see the sea gleaming in the distance. Under the bright sunlight, the water surface glimmers like crystals. White waves hit the beach relentlessly, exactly the way they always do even before I got stuck in all this mess.

To see my home looking so normal bewilders me. I've gotten used to travelling with the others, jumping over the foreign terrains and hills of Pulse. Fighting monsters left and right, being vigilant all the times. Facing constant threat of death…

But now, I am in a totally safe and familiar territory. It brings immediate relief and a sense of safety, one that I have somewhat forgotten after all this crazy fighting. I guess Vanille is right after all… Home really is the place where you will always be welcome, no matter how much has changed. Well, if the citizens know what we are, I'm sure they won't welcome us. But at least the place will. This is my home, and it will always welcome me, l'Cie or not. Smiling, I take a deep breath of the salt-smelling air.

"Been homesick all this time?"

I turn around when Fang suddenly chuckles beside me. I give her an embarrassed smile and reply, "I guess so… I just haven't realised it till now."

"Well, at least now you are home. Enjoy the feeling when you can," the huntress says, scratching her head.

"Anyway, where are we going to spend the night?" Sazh suddenly butts in, a hopeful expression in his face. "Hope we can get some cheap hotel with cozy bed to sleep tonight off."

I laugh. "Well, you won't have to do that. Lightning shouted it, didn't she? She wanted you guys to stay at our house."

"Wow, really? We can stay at your place?" Vanille asks, her eyes wide with excitement. "I've never seen your house, even though you've seen mine, Serah!"

"You'll see it soon, don't worry," I smile back at her, amused by her enthusiasm.

"Kinda generous of Light to let us stay at her place, no?" Fang grins. "Never thought the mighty Lightning Farron would let us see her den."

"Frankly, I'm kinda surprised too."

Fang chuckles upon hearing my answer; and with that, we start walking towards town.

* * *

><p>Vanille is elated. She has never thought that she'd be able to see Lightning and Serah's house. Sure, she's known them for quite a while and they have become almost as close as family. Both of them have known pretty much everything about her and Fang's life in Oerba before the War of Transgression, have even visited their old house in Oerba; yet she knows next to nothing about <em>their<em> lives. That's why, Vanille is curious about the life Lightning and Serah had in Cocoon, before all this mess start.

Grinning as she tries guessing how their house would look like, Vanille just bounces her way behind Fang. They are walking past the town now, yet luckily no one actually pays attention to them. Just like in Eden Station, everyone is just so busy with their own businesses.

As they walk, Vanille lets her eyes wander around. She can never get used to Cocoon's buildings and other structures, they look so… high-tech. A complete opposite to Gran Pulse's simple villages. All of the buildings here are made of metal, glass, plastic and other materials she cannot recognize. And despite she can see some potted plants and identical trees planted at regular intervals along the road, but the whole city just lacks greeneries. Even the roads have been covered with concrete or metal plates. Kinda depressing, in Vanille's opinion.

However, soon the metal buildings get lesser and lesser as they walk further, following Serah's lead. Before Vanille knows it, they've left the town area and are now walking directly towards the beach. Until finally, all the buildings disappear and Vanille finds herself and the others walking on a winding, narrow and sandy path between two rock cliffs. Somewhere further, she can see the cliffs end and the path opens into a secluded beach.

Vanille tilts her head in confusion. The island seems to end there… so where is Lightning and Serah's house? She has thought that they live in the middle of the town. But the town's already quite a distance behind… Maybe they'd have to take a ferry or something, to the opposite part of the island across the sea, where there is a bigger town?

However, Vanille's guesses are proved wrong when she follows Serah and steps into that secluded beach. She immediately lets out a delighted squeal when she sees the beautiful structure standing there, the one Serah is heading straight up to. Lightning and Serah's house…

* * *

><p>The house looks as high-tech as all other Cocoon's sturctures, but there is something different about it, something that emits warmth and elegance. The two-storey building is huge, shaped more-or-less like a peanut with the front door at the middle. It is built a few feet above the ground, supported by two sturdy pillars. One of the pillars is planted firmly on the beach, but the other one is half-submerged in the sea. At first Vanille is concerned about all the waves attacking the pillar, but soon she notices the faint glow of a force field surrounding its base, protecting it from abrasion. Meticulous. Typical Lightning.<p>

Vanille feels her smile grows wider as she follows Serah up a set of stairs to the house's front door. The stair's quite high, considering the position of the building above ground. But the steps are low and easy, so it's not really a problem. As she climbs up the stairs, Vanille also notices the small garden underneath the house. Various flowers are grown there, including a few morning glory plants.

Fang smirks when she sees the morning glories, recalling what Lightning had told her before about Serah planting flowers in their garden. It seems like the li'l pinknette really has a thing for flowers. And she's quite good in taking care of them, judging from how healthy the plants are looking.

Meanwhile, Hope, Snow and Sazh are lining up behind Fang; waiting for Serah to open the door for them. She is punching in a few buttons, entering the password to open it. Security-tight. _Just something Lightning would certainly do,_ Vanille thinks in amusement. But then again, she is actually elated. She is happy to know that Lightning prefers nature enough to build her house in this secluded beach, slightly away from the hustle and bustle of the metallised town of Bodhum. She wonders how the inside of the house looks like…

* * *

><p>"Alright, guys, come in. I'll show you around the house, cos I think we're gonna stay here for a while after all," I say, pressing a final button that causes the door to slide open.<p>

Like a desperate refugee, Sazh immediately jostles into thehallway. "Just show me a nice sofa or anything to sleep," he says, yawning.

Vanille giggles as she walks past Sazh. "Do anything you want, old man! But for me, I'd rather look around the place with Serah!"

With that, everyone enters the house.

* * *

><p>From the small entrance hallway, the first room of the house is the living room. It is a wide room filled with some white sofa and a big TV. There are other furniture in the room, but Sazh does not pay the least bit attention to them. After I turn the lights on, he immediately heads for the longest sofa and plops himself onto it with a grunt; his face looking extremely relieved.<p>

"Just continue the tour, guys—this old man will just lie here and never stand up again," Sazh announces, before shutting his eyes tightly. Snow eyes him with some kind of envy, clearly wanting to do the same thing.

"You can stay here and get some rest too if you want, Snow. We'll be right back," I say, startling him slightly. But soon his wide grin breaks and he settles on the next sofa, yawning. I walk around the TV and turn the warmer on; now that it's winter, the air gets very cold even in the afternoon like this.

"Look at those two lazy buffoons… can't believe they survive this long," Fang says, looking down at the two men mockingly. She then turns to me.

"Well then, little pink hostess, shall we continue? We can relax, right, since Light is still lagging behind anyway?" Fang grins.

She is right, there is nothing else we can do while waiting for that hothead Light to return. And judging from Fang's carefree attitude, I'm sure that'd mean those soldiers aren't Lightning's match. Finishing them would just be a matter of time… then she'd come back here and I can scold her to my heart's content.

Smiling, I just wave my hand casually and answers, "Sure. Make yourselves at home."

* * *

><p>Soon afterwards, Vanille concludes that the living room acts as some kind of a central point in the house. There are three doors leading away from it, so practically they can't get anywhere in the house without passing through this living room. The room is a nice place, though; the white sofa look comfortable and that thing they call TV is significantly bigger than any other Vanille has seen in other Cocoon houses. This room must be where Lightning and Serah spend their free time, whenever Lightning is not working…<p>

From the living room, Serah immediately leads the group to the door on the left. It turns out to be some kind of a study room, with a big book shelf on one side and a couple of sofa plus a table for reading on the center. Hope scans the book shelf and sees that most of the books there are textbooks; must be for Serah's studies. There are also some books about military, though. Lightning's?

However, Vanille is tilting her head in confusion as she sees the large object on the other side of the room. Failing as she tries to figure out the function of this strange object, she turns to ask.

"Umm, what is that big wooden stuff for?" she asks, pointing at the said object. Fang is watching it intently too, not knowing its function.

I just laugh when I see the object Vanille is pointing at. "It's something we call piano, Vanille. We use it to play music!" I answer, smiling as I approach the piano and play a short, cheerful melody.

Vanille squeals happily when she hears it. "Wow, it's nice! I understand now, we do have something like this in Oerba. But not so modern-looking, of course!"

"I never knew you and Light are interested in music, Serah," Hope comments, running his hand on the piano. "I tried learning to play the piano before, but I just can't get it. I quit after a while."

I laugh. "Well, I do like music. The piano is my favourite instrument, though, and I still play it sometimes. But Light… hmm, she isn't really interested in music. She would just stand silently beside me and listen if I play. But I know she likes listening to it, although she can't play a single melody."

"I see… but don't you have a piano stool?" Hope asks, eyeing the long bench in front of the piano.

I just chuckle and shrug when I follow Hope's gaze. "Nope, we don't have a piano stool. We got this long bench from someone, so Light said we shouldn't waste it. I know it's a tad too long for the piano, but I don't really mind. At least it allows both of us to sit side-by-side comfortably whenever I try getting Light to learn playing the piano. Which fails miserably."

Hope chuckles and scrutinizes the 'piano bench' again. "Well, it is comfortable," he says. "And I'm sure that's the only thing Light cares about regarding furniture, right?"

"Yep. She doesn't give a damn about shape or length, as long as it is comfortable."

Vanille laughs too. She doesn't know much about this piano thing, but she enjoys listening to Hope and Serah's exchange.

Fang, meanwhile, is experimenting with the piano; startled when she accidentally presses a particularly high-pitched note.

"Sorry," she grins sheepishly when everyone turns to her.

"Don't worry, this room is soundproof. You won't be waking those 'lazy buffoons' out there even if you play an entire sonata, Fang. Come to think of it, are you interested in music?" I ask her curiously.

However, Vanille immediately bursts out laughing upon hearing my question. She turns to me, still giggling, and says, "Noooo! Fang here can only differentiate a drum's sound from a flute's, but that's as far as her musical ability and interest reach. Gone case!"

I just laugh upon hearing Vanille's answer and see Fang shrugging nonchalantly.

"Well, I'm more interested in hunting," the huntress says, patting the crimson lance on her back proudly. "Stop snickering, Vanille. At least I can differentiate the sharp end of a lance from its blunt one."

Vanille scoffs. "Oh, really? You can? I'm not very convinced, Fang, considering your lance has sharp blades on both ends!"

Fang frowns, giving Hope a death glare as the boy chuckles. But then she realizes that she can't think of any smart comeback to throw at Vanille, so she decides to just change the topic. Ignoring the redhead's smug grin, Fang asks, "Can we just continue the tour?"

Trying to hold in my own laughter as well, I just answer, "Sure."

* * *

><p>From the study room, Vanille, Fang and Hope follow Serah to the two doors on the right side of the living room. Serah says one of the doors only leads to the small storeroom which also contains the automated washing machine; so she skips that room. They go through the other door, which is already opened, and Serah turns on the lamps.<p>

Vanille sees that the room is actually the kitchen. Other than all the cabinets, cooking devices and refrigerator, it also has the dining table and a smaller TV hanging from the ceiling. This kitchen also has another smaller door and a staircase, heading to the second floor.

When Vanille asks Serah, she says that the smaller door leads to the first-floor bathroom. However, throughout all the brief time they spent in the kitchen, Fang's eyes never leave the refrigerator. Except for a brief glance at the cookie jars on the table, that is. Vanille giggles softly upon watching her friend staring down at the refrigerator, looking like a hungry puppy with her expression all yearning like that.

"Don't worry, Ms. Starving, I'm sure she'll let us eat something after this," Vanille snickers softly as she walks past Fang.

Fang grins. "Then we'd better hurry, before I drop dead," she whispers back at Vanille, before turning to Serah.

"This kitchen is the last room on the first floor, right? So what's upstairs?"

"Well, there are only our bedrooms upstairs, plus the—"

"Wait!" Upon hearing my last words, Vanille immediately stops me. Her green eyes are uncharacteristically glimmering fiercely, and we all look at her in confusion.

"If that's the case, then the second floor is off-limits to guys!" she states firmly.

Upon hearing this new rule of Vanille's, Fang and I just laugh.

However, Hope seems to take it seriously. He nods in agreement, answering, "Sure, Vanille. I'll tell Snow and Sazh."

Thus, being a polite boy as he is, he says, "Thanks for showing me around, Serah," before swiftly making his retreat back to the living room.

Fang chuckles as Hope's form suddenly disappears. Really, Vanille. Is that rule necessary? But then again, who cares.

"Well, I guess we have the privilege to see the upstairs then?" the huntress asks, raising her eyebrows.

I chuckle. "Sure, let's check the bedrooms' condition… and we'd better make the sleeping arrangement for tonight too, while we are at it."

Fang smirks lazily and falls into steps beside me, while Vanille bounces next to her. We climb the stairs to the second floor together.

* * *

><p>As they emerge from the stairs on the second floor, Vanille immediately sees a long hallway stretching to her left. On her right is just a large window, but it is still covered by a sheet of light-orange metal. <em>Must be Cocoon's style of curtain,<em> Vanille muses. Meanwhile, Serah casually presses a button beside it to make the sheet slides up, revealing the scenery of the beach through the crystal-clear glass window. Sunlight rushes in, making it unnecessary for Serah to turn the lights on.

Vanille glances through the window for a while, before casting her gaze back to the hallway. Along the hallway, there are two doors; at the end of the hallway, direct opposite of the window, is another door. Vanille follows Serah towards the first door in that hallway.

"What's this room, Serah?" she asks curiously.

"This is my room," I answer, smiling as I open the door. "Haven't been sleeping in here for a while…"

Then the door opens wide and Vanille smiles as she sees Serah's room for the first time. The room is cheerful and bright, just as how she imagines Serah's room would be.

The room has a big white bed, placed against the center of the wall facing the door; with a small table holding a lamp beside it. On the right side of the room is a book shelf containing thick books, and beside it is a set of study table and chair. The left side of the room has a dark-brown wooden wardrobe with a mirror, and a small door seemingly leading to the bathroom. On the ceiling is some sort of a machine, similar to the one Vanille's seen in the living room. She guesses this one to be a warmer as well.

But what makes the room so cheerful are the paintings of Bodhum's scenery pasted on the walls, the soft woolen rug placed near the door and the decorative ornaments Serah has beautifully arranged on her tables. There are even some birthday cards pasted on the wardrobe, probably from Serah's friends at school. And on the table top… Vanille thinks she sees some pictures there.

"Can I come in?" she turns to ask.

"Sure."

While Serah checks the warmer to see if it's still working, Vanille quickly hops towards the table. Immediately a grin forms on her face as she sees those pictures are of Serah, standing with her friends at school. She looks at one particular picture; it shows four friends smiling widely, looking so cheerful. And written with a black ink on the top right-hand corner of that picture is Serah's neat handwriting: _Garnet, Zidane, Rikku and me. School's canteen. _

The other pictures show Serah with her other classmates, but mostly depict her with her three friends from that first picture. Without exception, the pictures are full of smiles. Vanille beams too, as she looks up from the table and throws her gaze across the room one more time. Serah really has a lot of friends… Her room is so cheerful; it simply shouts that its occupant leads a happy life.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Fang is checking out the bathroom, which she finds to be quite big. She raises her eyebrows and asks, "You even have a bathroom in your own room?"<p>

"Um, yes. Lightning also has one in her room…" I answer.

Fang whistles appreciatively. "Wow. Convenient, really. You two seriously have a big and comfy house, yea?"

I chuckle. "Yes, thanks to Lightning."

* * *

><p>"By the way, don't you think your bed is a tad too big for one person?" Fang asks again, throwing her gaze to the bed. True, it is big. Vanille is sure it can actually accommodate two or more people.<p>

Upon hearing this question, Vanille observes that Serah looks embarrassed. She smiles nervously before answering. "Uh, yes, you're correct… And the reason is, um… Alright, I know this is childish, but sometimes I ask Light to sleep with me whenever I'm scared or upset—Don't laugh!"

Fang merely smirks, but luckily she doesn't laugh. Vanille, meanwhile, is giggling. "Don't worry Serah, I do that too! Back then in Oerba, whenever I had nightmares… I'd always drag Fang to sleep with me! So don't worry, it's not childish; it's normal!"

Fang laughs upon hearing this. "Yeah, yeah. I can't say I enjoyed those times, though… 'Cos our bed back there was small, unlike yours. And this little monster here keeps kicking around in her sleep. "

Vanille giggles as she sees Serah start smiling again. "But seriously, nice room, Serah! I really like your room, it's beautiful."

"Thanks, Vanille. You know what, you can sleep here tonight with Fang," Serah suddenly offers, pleasantly surprising Vanille.

The redhead gasps. "Oh, really? Thank you!" she squeals in delight. But then she tilts her head, looking hesitant. "But where are you and Lightning gonna sleep, Serah? And the guys?"

"Oh, the guys can sleep in the living room… all those sofa should be sufficient, but I can ask Light to drag out the mattress from the storeroom later, if needed. As for Light and me, we can sleep in her room. I'm quite sure her bed is big enough…"

"Then we'd better check that bed," Fang says, scratching her head. "If it turns out to be too small, I refuse to use your room, Serah. I won't have my hostess sleeping on the floor while I curl up comfortably like a selfish Megistotherian puppy."

I just laugh lightly. Fang really is similar to Lightning. They both talk sharply, but actually they are caring and kind. Ha.

"Alright then, let's check Light's room… it's just next to mine," I say as I open the door for Fang and Vanille.

Vanille skips her way back to the hallway, her curiousity returning.

_I wonder… how does Lightning's room look like?_

* * *

><p>The moment Serah opens the door, Vanille immediately smiles in recognition. This cold yet sweet scent, like the smell of dews on flower petals in the mornings... This really is Lightning's room. It smells just like her.<p>

But then, Vanille suddenly notices something.

Now that she's seen it… Lightning's room is so simple and impersonal, unlike Serah's. Other than the door leading to the bathroom, this room only contains the basic necessities: bed, wardrobe, a set of plain study table and chair, plus a small table by the bed bearing a bland lamp. Besides them, nothing. There is not a single painting, rug, decorative bowl, not even any knick-knack saved for sentimental reasons. Nothing.

Vanille feels her heart tightens.

_Didn't she have any friend to at least give her some keepsake before? _

The redhead recalls her own room in Oerba. It is destroyed now, but at least she remembers stacking her room with some tables on which she puts photos, decorative bowls, necklaces, Oerban beads and even a statue made for her by one of the elders on her birthday. On the other hand, Lightning's…. Her room feels so barren and cold. Lonely. It is as if the occupant only needs it to sleep, and spends no more time in there.

"She led a boring life before we came along, didn't she?" Fang simply comments as she sees Lightning's neat and simple room.

However, Vanille knows that Fang is disturbed by the room's blandness as well.

If only she can ask.

_Lightning…_

_How was your life before we met you? What happened, that made you become so cold and distant? What happened, to etch that abyss of sorrow and loneliness in your eyes?_

She wonders… If she knows what happened, can she help to banish that abyss from Lightning's eyes?

* * *

><p>"Yep, if we sleep horizontally, this bed should be big enough! So don't worry, Fang, you can use my room just fine," I say to my two guests, after I scrutinize the size of Lightning's bed.<p>

Fang tilts her head, trying to measure the size as well. Fortunately, she looks satisfied and mutters her 'thanks' along with Vanille's own chirp of gratitude.

"Alright, then, let's go back down and—" I begin, but Fang suddenly yells.

"Whoa, hold on!"

"What is it?" I ask, startled. Fang is approaching Lightning's bed and pulled a white shirt from underneath the sheets. I immediately recognize it as Light's shirt that I prepared there for her, after washing it… It was before all this mess started. Kinda strange to see it still there, really.

Fang, meanwhile, is unfolding the shirt and stares at the logo wide-eyed. She seems to have lost all ability to speak, so Vanille approaches her curiously. However, that is when Fang's laughter bursts, so hard that Vanille jumps back in surprise.

"Hahaha! Oh, for Etro's sake, you've just got to see this, Vanille!" Fang manages to say between her laughter, as she waves the shirt like a flag in front of Vanille's face. The redhead is stunned for a few seconds before she bends down to read the words on the shirt:

"FLAMINGO HAIR"

Immediately Vanille's laughter bursts too. She has never expected Lightning to have this kind of self-joke item. She keeps giggling as she reads the words one more time; trying to imagine Lightning, with her pink hair, wearing this shirt.

Fang is struggling to choke out her words in between her hysterical laughter. "Seriously, Serah. Don't tell me Light actually bought the shirt herself?"

I can't help but laugh too, upon seeing the two Oerbans practically laughing their heads off. But maybe I'd have to save some of Lightning's pride here.

"Actually, no. It was one of my birthday presents for her… a few years back. It was a silly joke I made, just for the sake of teasing her," I explain with a smirk.

"And she immediately agreed to wear it?" Fang asks again, somewhat unbelieving.

That's when a sly smile spreads through my face. "Being Lightning, of course not. She protested and stuff, but I simply told her that I've spent long hours at the shop, trying to pick something for her birthday present. Then I just put on a hopeful expression as I asked her to wear it, threw in an extremely sad face when she argued, aaand… voila. She didn't have the heart to refuse!"

"Wooo, now I'm kinda grateful Vanille isn't as sly as you are, mini pinknette!" Fang snickers, throwing a last glance at the shirt before dumping it back on the bed. "By the way, I'm kinda… s.t.a.r.v.i.n.g…"

I raise my eyebrows, but laugh along with Vanille when we hear Fang's stomach grumbling.

"You really are starving, aren't you? Alright then, let's go down and I'll prepare something for everyone to eat," I say, chuckling.

"You're the best hostess ever," Fang grins, following me walking out of Lightning's room.

Vanille shakes her head and follows Fang, muttering something that distinctly sounds like "Fang, you're acting cute just to get food."

* * *

><p>However, as they head for the stairs, Vanille suddenly realizes something. She quickly stops Serah.<p>

"Wait, Serah… what's in that last room?" she asks, pointing at the room at the end of the hallway. It's the only room they haven't seen…

Serah turns to see the room and answers, "Oh, it's the stargazing room… the roof can be opened, and it also has a small balcony facing the sea. You can call that room as Lightning's; she is the one spending a lot of time there. But I don't really go there."

"Wow." Vanille tilts her head, eyeing the room. So Lightning really does like stargazing… she even put a special room in her house. Actually Vanille wants to see the room, but she decides to just wait for Light. Especially since now Fang is almost dead starving, and she is not the only one. Feeling her own stomach grumbling, Vanille just giggles and bounces after Fang and Serah back into the living room. There, with Hope's help, they drag the lazy buffoons to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Nice food, Serah! You can cook so damn well!" Fang finally manages to look up from her food long enough to speak. Without waiting for answer, the huntress returns to attacking her meal. Beside her, Snow and Sazh are doing the same thing: eating like there is no tomorrow.<p>

I just laugh as I eat my own meal. Vanille and Hope are sitting beside me, and they are enjoying their food too. I don't thoroughly deserve Fang's compliment, though; Hope helped me too with cooking the food just now. He is quite a good cook, actually.

"Come to think of it, how can this food… stay fresh for so long?" Vanille asks, recalling how Serah and Hope simply pulled the foodstuff out of the refrigerator. Doesn't it mean… the food has been staying in there, since before all this mess started? How can it stay good until now?

I exchange glance with Hope, but then remembers that Fang and Vanille are from Gran Pulse. So I just chuckle and explain, "It's because of the refrigerator, Vanille. It's equipped with a device that keeps food fresh for long periods of time."

"Oooh." Vanille nods and continues eating her meal.

However, I suddenly remember that I have not checked the warmer in Lightning's room. Is it still working? It's winter now… if it doesn't work, we'll be frozen at night.

Deciding to check on it, I quickly stand up and say, "Just enjoy your meal, guys. I need to check Lightning's room's warmer for a while. When you're done, just put the dirty plates in the sink, okay? I'll wash them up later."

"I can wash them for you," Hope quickly offers, looking up from his plate.

"Oh… okay, thanks, Hope!" I smile at the boy, before putting my own plate in the sink and head upstairs. However, Vanille stops me.

"Hey, Serah! Can I come with you?"

"Sure," I reply, stopping to wait for her. She quickly bounces towards me and we walk upstairs together.

* * *

><p>After I finish checking the warmer, which turns out to be working normally, I look around Lightning's room. There aren't many things in here… I've been here for so many times that I hadn't realized it, but now after I've been away for so long… Now I realize how empty her room is. Empty, just like her eyes that night—<p>

I immediately shake my head to prevent my mind from wandering into _that _memory.

However, it looks like Vanille noticed my strange behavior. She's giving me a nervous look, so I just smile at her.

* * *

><p>Vanille is nervous. The reason she follows Serah up here is because she wants to ask her… but it is undoubtedly a sensitive question… what if she doesn't want to answer?<p>

However, upon seeing Serah's smile, Vanille dares herself to speak up.

"Umm, Serah… actually… I have some questions…" she hesitates, clasping her hands nervously.

"Hmm?"

Vanille opens and closes her mouth again, hesitating. Should she really ask? It's true that she's been wondering for so long, but what if it upsets Serah? She certainly doesn't want to upset her friend. But…

"Just ask me anything, Vanille. I'll answer you," Serah says, seeming confused too upon seeing Vanille's unusual nervous behavior.

Vanille sighs, deciding to just ask away.

"I've been wondering… how was your childhood like, Serah? You and Lightning… I only know little about your childhood; while you two practically know mine and Fang's well enough, War of Transgression and all that. But I hardly know yours. I was just… wondering…"

There. She's asked. Now it's up to Serah whether she wants to answer or not.

* * *

><p>I stare for a few seconds at Vanille, somewhat surprised by her question. She wants to know more… about Lightning and me? About our childhood? I don't really mind answering, really, but why does she care? And 'our childhood' comprises Lightning's past too… would she be mad if I tell Vanille without her agreement like this?<p>

But then Vanille speaks again quickly. "I mean, it's okay if you don't want to answer it, Serah! I was just wondering, since I know very little about you and Lightning… the only personal thing I know about Light is just what that lightning pendant means to her, and—"

"Wait!" I stop Vanille there, unable to believe my ears. "Who… I mean, how… did you know that thing about Light's necklace?"

"Umm, she told me and Fang during our journey to Zalera…"

I stare at Vanille for a moment, before deciding to ask her first before answering.

"Well, Vanille, why don't you tell me everything about your journey to Zalera first? I've been wondering too…"

"Eh? Oh, um, sure!"

* * *

><p>After listening to Vanille's story, I can't help but feeling happy. Lightning really has found good friends; that journey to Zalera must have allowed her to know Fang and Vanille better, and vice versa. No wonder now she seems to have gotten used to Fang's antiques and teasing. No wonder Vanille seems to understand and care about Light a lot, like that time in Zalera when she asked me to stop Light.<p>

But the most surprising thing is… Lightning willingly told them something about her past. It wasn't much, it was just about her necklace and name—but I know they are highly-personal subjects to Lightning. She's never told anyone about them before. Before this, only I know about those things...

But now, Light has actually told Fang and Vanille. By herself. It clearly proves that she trusts them… And if she does… then maybe I should just tell our story to Vanille. I suppose Light won't mind.

Smiling, I gesture for Vanille to sit down. She quickly sits on the chair, while I sit on the bed.

"Well, I don't mind telling you, Vanille. But how much do you know about our childhood, anyway?"

* * *

><p>Upon hearing this, the redhead huffs in relief. Luckily Serah doesn't seem to be offended by her question… and she seems to be willing to answer. Really, Vanille has no hidden agenda; she is asking just because she wants to know Lightning and Serah better. Then maybe, maybe she can help Lightning too... Because the soldier has saved her so many times, and Vanille just wants to do something to help her back.<p>

Thus, Vanille replies Serah, "Umm, I only knew that Lightning took care of you since little… since your parents… uh, sorry, passed away?"

"Right, so what else do you want to know?"

"Um, whatever you feel like telling me!"

I just smile softly at her. "Well, then, you'll have to listen to a rather long story."

Vanille grins. "It's okay, I have nothing else to do anyway. Especially now that Fang and the others are still busy stuffing themselves down there."

I chuckle. And with that, I begin recalling that night… That night when everything turned awry for Lightning and me.

* * *

><p><em>It was the worst night in my life. No matter what I do, I can never be able to forget that night.<em>

Right. It was the night when we received the news of our parents' death, the news that changed our lives forever.

I couldn't believe it at that time. I was sure that it was just some kind of a sick joke; I kept forcing myself to think that Mom and Dad would go home any time soon.

But they never did.

They were gone so suddenly; I just saw them in the morning, preparing to leave for a business trip in Palumpolum. And they were perfectly okay that time, still joking and laughing. Dad even picked me up briefly, grinning as he told me to be a good girl.

But then there we were, receiving news that their car had crashed and they passed away. Just like that.

At that time I believed we basically have no more future. None I could see, at least. I was so aghast, so frightened and despaired. All I did was crying, calling Mom and Dad. I just couldn't accept that I wouldn't see them anymore, that I would never be able to count on them for my safety and well-being anymore. More than anything, I was extremely frightened to think about our future. What are we going to do next? Without our parents, we surely won't be allowed to live in our apartment anymore. Then how about our studies? How are we going to survive?

Because right at that moment, our comfortable lives totally turned upside-down. Our parents, our safety, our future… Simply everything we had was stripped off so suddenly, so mercilessly.

All those thoughts kept gnawing in my mind, incapacitating me with their starkness. I could only keep crying, clinging tightly to the last family member I have. Lightning.

She didn't cry. She just stood there; hugging me tightly, my only anchor in that crumbling world.

While I was crying my eyes out, Lightning didn't even shed a single tear. She simply stared emptily at the air, without showing any emotion. I felt somehow grateful for that, though; if she succumbed to sadness like I did, I would've probably felt even more frightened, not having anyone to count on. But Lightning controlled her emotion, she remained strong for me. My firm, silent anchor, who said nothing but kept hugging me close in her arms, preventing me from crumbling to pieces.

That night was the last time we could sleep in our apartment. We would be sent to the orphanage on the other side of Bodhum on the next day. It was so far away from our apartment, on the part of town we've never been to before. We'd be foreigners there, new and unwanted. I really didn't want to go there… I was scared… but we simply had no choice.

I kept clinging to Lightning that night, even as we were trying to get some sleep in our dark room. Suddenly I realized how alone we were then, how she was the only person I have in this merciless world. If she wasn't there with me, I wouldn't survive. Suddenly the thought of losing Lightning became scarier than anything and I couldn't help but sobbed.

I buried my face in the nape of Lightning's neck, trying to shut the cruel world out. Trembling with grieve and fear, I whispered to her.

"Don't ever leave me… stay with me."

My sobbing intensified and I can feel tears running down my face again, against Lightning's shoulder. I was wondering why she hadn't said anything, I almost felt angry at her lack of emotion and her so-be-it demeanor.

But when she answered me, I somehow began thinking that everything would one day work out for us.

"…Always."

* * *

><p>Upon hearing that word—that promise—from her, I immediately felt calmer. Because Lightning always keeps her promises… That's right, even though Light didn't comfort me with soothing words, but her actions defeated every word in the world. Like her effort to put up a strong front for me, just so I could have someone to rely on.<p>

I snuggled closer to her, half-asleep. Somehow, knowing that she'll always stay with me made me feel so… safe, despite the grimness of our situation. That's the kind of feeling that only Lightning can bring.

At least I still have her… Slowly my tears stopped flowing, and I fell asleep in her arms. She really was my steadfast anchor, firm and strong.

But much later that night, I think I heard her start crying too.

* * *

><p>Because unlike me who had her as my anchor, Lightning had no one to count on. She was completely alone; shouldering all the responsibilities and struggling against all odds to keep not only herself, but also myself, alive and well in the merciless world. It was that struggle that forced her to grow those constant seriousness, cold demeanor and stoic expression of hers.<p>

But really, all along Lightning was just burying her sorrows and loneliness inside—unresolved and uncomforted.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Next chapter would immediately continue with the flashbacks, guys, so don't get confused ^^ _

_Oh, and I developed the structure of Lightning and Serah's house from the brief description of it on Final Fantasy Wiki._


	36. Chapter 36

Orphans. Orphanage. Those were the words that I had never associated with myself before. But then… there we were, getting admitted into an orphanage ourselves.

I didn't like it there. The orphanage was an utterly foreign place to me, and I was scared. I kept hiding behind Light the whole time the orphanage manager talked to us. I was fortunate to have Lightning by my side; she was the one taking the responsibility to talk to the adults, something I was still scared to do back then. I only listened to the man's explanation of the orphanage's rules and regulations.

I was horrified to learn that the orphanage only provided food for breakfast and dinner. No lunch. Moreover, they would also only cater to our school fees for the first year. The rest, we were left to fend for ourselves.

Sure, we still had quite a sum of our parents' money to use to buy the lunch. But nevertheless, we'd have to find our own money soon, somehow.

Then the manager brought us to our room, which was quite small and dark with its dirty window. We had to share one bed, and the bathroom only had cold water. The furniture was rickety, causing the whole atmosphere of the room to simply shout gloom. It was an utterly unfamiliar and unpleasant place; it was hard for me to imagine living in such a place for fal'Cie knows how long. It just… wasn't home. It didn't have the welcoming, warm and safe feeling of home.

But then again, I had no choice but to grudgingly accept our stark fate. I had to accept that our lives would never be the same again. We'd have no more luxuries, easiness and comfort that our parents used to provide… something we took for granted before. Now all that were gone, and a new life for us began: life full of hardships and discomfort.

I was so despaired then, not knowing why I should bother living under such circumstances anymore. I almost gave up… if not for Lightning.

She didn't let fate crush her. True, fate had pretty much destroyed our lives and took our beloved parents away. But Lightning refused to dwell on the ruins of our life; what's gone is gone. Instead, she focused on keeping what's left well. She refused to bow down to fate, with a degree of defiance bordering on rage.

As I cried in fear and despair in that orphanage room, Light hugged me and said the words that became something I held on to for the next difficult years. It was hope; something we simply need to proceed, to keep on living.

"Don't cry, Serah. No matter what happens, I won't let our lives end up this way. I'll change it; one day, I'll make things right. But for now, we just have to survive."

* * *

><p>After a few days of administering, finally we had to go for our first day at the new school. I was so nervous, not knowing anyone in that school. Moreover, we were joining in the middle of the semester, when the other students had known each other for a while. We would be the total stranger… I'd never liked being the odd one out. I was so scared of how the first day would be, of how my classmates would treat me.<p>

But at least Lightning was with me, and we walked to the school together. It wasn't a great start; our pink hair really stood out among all the blonds and browns. The moment we stepped into the school compound, everyone immediately stared at us. However, while I squirmed under all the stares, Lightning just walked calmly beside me. I held her hand tighter; and with her presence, I felt calmer. Especially because Light had cast her death glare to all those staring people, and then it was their turn to squirm and scurry away.

Lightning walked me to my classroom, opening the door for me and explained to the teacher about us as new students. He nodded and waved Lightning away. Right, Lightning had to go for her own class. I looked at her in fear, not wanting to be left alone in this classroom. Especially since every student inside was already staring at us closely.

However, there was no choice for Lightning but to leave. She looked at me worriedly upon seeing my frightened face, and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Then she glared at the staring students and whispered 'I'll see you after school,' before leaving.

Trying to ignore the stares, I just walked to my table and sat down, already missing Lightning's presence and the feeling of safety she brings.

A few minutes later, the bell rung and the lessons began. The teacher asked me to go to the front and introduce myself. I was still nervous, and I spoke a bit too softly; but overall it went okay. Some students began to smile at me and they remembered my name. Afterwards, one of my new classmates even asked me directly.

"Hey, Serah, who was that scary girl accompanying you this morning?"

I was somewhat surprised and only managed to answer a few seconds later. "Oh, that's Lightning… my sister."

Honestly, I felt kinda amused when he asked me that. Was Lightning's presence really that intriguing? Then again, she was glaring so fiercely… I was sure she had left quite an intimidating impression.

I warned her not to look overly hostile when I met her again after school, but she just scoffed and ignored my advice. I pouted when she ignored me, but really—actually I felt happy that I have a sister to protect me as well as she did. Even though she was being somewhat overprotective.

* * *

><p>The subsequent days at school went relatively fine. My classmates were still not so close to me, but I knew it was bound to happen since I was a new student after all.<p>

The only thing that disturbed me was when I overheard some of them talking about me and Light. I heard the word 'orphans' and I still had a hard time associating that word to ourselves.

Moreover, I soon found out to my dismay that most students tend to stereotype those who were different, such as orphans like us... Those students figured that since orphans do not have parents to scold them, then they'd always be lazy in studies or get involved in bad things. And that was why the students kinda kept a distance from me and Light. But still, at the end I did manage to get a decent number of good friends.

Although… some remarks were really thoughtless. A boy once said orphans are lucky not to have parents to scold them. They can go wherever they want, all day long, without curfew.

Really…

Luckily Lightning didn't hear that boy's remark; because if she did, I'm sure that boy would've gotten a black eye.

* * *

><p>Years passed. Our life was still riddled with hardships, especially since the orphanage subsidies had run out. But we found a way to sustain ourselves. It was Lightning's idea, actually.<p>

During that first year of school when the fees were still subsidized, Light pushed me to study really hard with her. I had always been one of the top students, so Lightning suggested that I apply for scholarship. I thought I wasn't good enough, but to my pleasant surprise I managed to get it. And that year, Lightning got a scholarship for herself too. So with that, the problem of our school fees was settled.

And since then, we basically sustained our life that way. I excelled in my studies and managed to keep getting scholarships. However, while Lightning was also one of the best students in her class, but she excelled more in sports. Especially in running. She was the fastest runner in school, so the track-and-field club immediately took her in. They wanted to train her so she could win competitions for the glory of the school. And Lightning, she agreed to go through all those exhausting training sessions and competitions just because of one reason: winning those competitions granted her prize money.

We used the money to buy our lunch and other necessities, but sometimes the need to skip meals still arose. Not me, though; Light always insisted on giving her share of food to me. Even though she was the one working hard for the money.

Lightning really trained hard. Sometimes I would see her on my way to the school gate after dismissal: sprinting around the school, with her trainer yelling at her to run faster. She even managed to study while training, like that time when I watched her doing push-ups with her eyes closed, reciting a whole list of history facts for a test. On other occasions I would spot Light being called out from her class by the trainer. He would just poke his head into her classroom, yelling 'Lightning, it's time!' then whisked her away for another competition. She would return a few hours later, when school was about to be over—limping and exhausted, but victorious nonetheless.

I was worried for her well-being, but Light ignored my worried protests. However, since I was also busy with my own studies to retain the scholarship, I didn't pay much attention on Lightning and her feverish training. I took it for granted, I didn't really notice it… that Lightning really was the one working the hardest.

* * *

><p>As about the orphanage, it didn't take long for us to realize that we can't study there. It just didn't have the atmosphere of home, so we only spent as little time as possible there. After school, usually I would not go to the orphanage immediately. No, I would just stay at the library with my friends and study there. Only during those times could I feel like a normal child, studying with her friends together. Only during those times could I forget the fact that I was actually an orphan.<p>

But then again, eventually my friends would go home one by one. They would say that their parents are waiting for them, cooking dinner, et cetera. I would just smile and wave them goodbye. I had always been the last one to leave the library. But I did not go back to the orphanage, no. I would go to a nearby beach to continue studying there, enjoying the breeze and the sound of the waves. Only when the sun began to set would I go back to the orphanage to finish my homework.

Same went for Lightning. She was usually busy with her trainings, but after they were over she wouldn't go back to the orphanage. She didn't like it there, too. However, unlike me who preferred the beach, Light would go to the nearby forest. She'd climb a tree and study there, high up on the branches, where it was quiet and peaceful. She liked that place simply because of one reason: she wouldn't meet anyone there.

Because unlike me who managed to get many friends, Lightning was quite the outcast. It wasn't just because of her intimidating appearance; it was also because she was always so busy that she had no time to socialize. Busy with her trainings, busy with her studies… basically, busy sustaining our ramshackle of a life.

I know Lightning does have a kind heart—I know that far too well. Sometimes she was even too kind that it had forsaken her own well-being. But other people ostracized and judged her based on her silence and seriousness, without even trying to get to know her first. Hell, they did not even have the slightest idea on what kind of struggle Lightning had back then.

That was why Lightning opted for quiet places, where she wouldn't be confronted with wary or mocking glances. She hated people who looked down on her just because she was an orphan—her natural reaction was to distance herself from things she dislikes.

And Lightning was alone for so long.

* * *

><p>If there is one wish I have… it would be for Lightning to have someone other than myself to understand her, to accept and love her for who she is.<p>

* * *

><p>Our life may seem horrible that time, but I did share some good times with Lightning, too. Since she was busy, I didn't get to see her often. But those rare times I did manage to spend with her, those were the happiest times.<p>

On holidays, when she didn't have any training schedule, she would take me for a swim at the beach where I usually studied. She would carry me piggyback style, then run and jump off the low cliff into the sea with me clinging to her. It was kinda scary, but I knew I was safe as long as I have Light by my side. So I just laughed happily as we broke through the water surface together, almost gulping seawater at that.

I'd look for sea shells then. I used to hope to find pearls, and one day I really found one. Well, I thought it was. When I showed it to Light, she laughed at me—because what I thought as a black pearl was actually just a marble. I threw the stupid thing angrily into the sea.

If she was having training during the holidays, I would come and pick her up once I was done with my study. We would walk home together, and Light would sometimes buy us ice cream. We didn't have enough money to buy one for each of us, so we had to share. But I didn't mind sharing an ice cream with Light—it just felt good to walk beside her under the scorching summer sun, taking turns to get a bite of the ice cream.

But even when it was not holidays, Light really cared about me. Whenever I was sick, she would stay by my side, never leaving me alone. Even at nights, she would lie down beside me; allowing me to snuggle to her and find comfort in her presence.

And she refused to sleep whenever I was ill. No, she would just lie down beside me, hugging me. I kept telling her to sleep, but she was stubborn. I had to admit, though… it was really comforting to find her still awake and hugging me in the middle of the night, if I happened to wake up because of the headache or fever.

* * *

><p>Then one day, we received a pleasant surprise. Because of our outstanding achievements—me in studies and Light in sports—the school offered us scholarships, plus a dormitory room that was much bigger than our orphanage room. And we were allowed to stay there for as long as one of us was still studying in the school, and excelling in either sports or academics. We accepted the terms and conditions without a second of doubt.<p>

The dorm room quite resembled an apartment, although it was still not so spacious. It only had one bedroom, a bathroom, plus a central room containing a big table and two chairs, as well as a small sofa. Food, we had to get them from the dorm's kitchen. The food wasn't particularly nice, but it was free; so that was one good step.

Since then, our lives got much better. It settled into a more comfortable pace, and I was happy. I would wake up first in the morning, yawning tiredly and shook Light beside me to wake her up. Then we'd prepare for school and go together. Our class years were different, but we did have one lesson in which our classes were combined: Physical Education. I kept looking forward to it, because that was the only lesson where I could see Lightning.

And to be honest, I always felt really proud whenever I see Light in action in those PE lessons. She ran the fastest, the farthest. She tackled the yearly standard physical test without even breaking a sweat, while I practically wheezed my way throughout the whole running test. But she was there for me; she ran beside me, encouraging me to keep going. Although she could've actually finished the run a lot faster by herself, but she chose to run with me. And I was grateful for that, since I'd never had very high stamina. With her presence there, with being able to hear her voice and see her face…that was enough to keep me running. And again, I would feel extremely proud whenever my friends cast an admiring glance at Light, or sometimes even envious glance as they see her escorting me.

However, after school we would separate. I'd go to the library to study, Light'd go for her training. After all, we still did not like our dorm room enough to spend much time there. Nope, afterwards I would still go to the beach to study while Light go to the forest. But at night, Light and I would return to our dorm room and finish up our homework. We would sit on the dining table together, and I really enjoyed those times. It was my favourite time of the day. But actually, I just like every time I can spend with Light.

Once, Lightning fell asleep in the middle of doing her work. I giggled when I looked up from my homework and saw her head already lying face down on the table, fast asleep. With her hand somehow still holding the pen, by the way. I knew she must be tired; she just returned from a running competition that day. I let her sleep for a while, but then woke her up. She wasn't really pleased.

* * *

><p>At nights like that we would just talk about our day at school or some other trivial stuff, things that randomly came into our mind.<p>

Like that one day when I asked Light to help me do my homework, and it turned out to be quite an amusing convo that I still remember till now.

It began when I saw her already finishing her homework, while I still had two more sets to finish. So I asked her help.

"Light, please, can you help me do my art homework? It's nothing much, just drawing something based on a theme!" I asked her hopefully.

Lightning raised her eyebrows. "No. Why should I be doing your homework? Besides, you know I'm not very good in art."

"Aww, please, Light? I still have another set of homework to do, y'know! And I'm already so tired… I want to sleep ASAP! So please, sis? Help me?"

With that, I threw her my best puppy eyes. "Pretty please?"

"No," Lightning growled through gritted teeth, trying to avoid my puppy eyes. But I know her too well. She was actually close to agreeing, all I had to do was just to throw out one last tactic…

Assuming my most forlorn face, I said, "Oh, okay then… it's fine if you don't want to help me, Light. It's okay, really. I'd just have to draw it myself and sleep a bit late tonight. Say, around 3 o'clock. That'd mean I only get 3 hours to sleep today. Lack of sleep, lack of concentration. Lack of concentration in class, unable to understand the lessons. Then I'd get low grades. Then I'd have to sleep late again trying to catch up, but that will only repeat the whole cycle. At the end my studies would drop and—"

With a groan, she finally grabbed the drawing paper and a pencil, before throwing me her irritated glare.

"Alright, alright, fine! Geez, you're getting awfully good in taking advantage, aren't you, little manipulator?" she grumbled. "What am I supposed to draw then? What's the theme?"

I grinned happily at her. _See, mission accomplished._

With that, I pulled out the art worksheet from my bag. "Um, wait, let me check… The theme is… 'Cute'!"

Lightning dropped the pencil.

I smiled innocently at her shocked expression, somehow already expecting such reaction.

"Serah, did you choose that theme by yourself to irk me?" Lightning asked, obviously annoyed. I giggled upon seeing her reaction.

"Nope, our teacher chose it for us!"

"Don't tell me the boys have to draw 'Cute' as well."

"Hehe, nope. Boys are drawing 'Cars'."

Lightning grumbled, picking up the pencil from the floor. "I'd rather do 'Cars'…"

She stared at the empty drawing paper for a while, then lifted her hands up exasperatedly.

"You know what, Serah, I change my mind. No way am I doing something as absurd as 'Cute', I don't even know what to draw under that theme in the first place! I mean, seriously, what is this nonsense of a theme? How come you're asking me to draw this… crap?"

"Aww, come on, Liiiight… please! Just draw anything, anything that is your interpretation of cute! Or you can just refer to a magazine and draw the first thing that you think is cute!"

I clasped my hands together to beg her, and Lightning didn't get enough time to avoid my puppy eyes this time. I giggled as she sighed in annoyance, knowing I've won. I grabbed a random magazine and passed it to her.

Shaking her head in dismay, Lightning started flipping the magazine's pages for inspiration of 'Cute.' Grinning, I went back to my own work and secretly sighed in relief when I saw her finally stopping on one of the magazine's pages and started drawing something.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Lightning looked up and said, "Done."<p>

I beamed immediately. "Wow, thanks a lot, Light! Love you!"

With that, I bent over to see what she had drawn.

And my jaws dropped.

Because Lightning had drawn a baby Behemoth.

"Light! What the hell were you drawing? How is that even cute?" I protested, frowning as I stared at the monster again. True, it was a baby and not as scary as the adult Behemoth, but still!

"What?" Lightning drawled, scowling too. "That's the 'cutest' thing in that magazine I could find!"

I threw a glance at the magazine's cover for the first time and groaned. Written in bold, was the magazine's title: _Cocoon and Pulse: Feral Creatures Edition._ How could I not check the title first before passing it to Light?

"But, Light! This behemoth is most certainly not cute! I mean, it looks so… monstrous!" I protested again, trying to get the message across to Light.

Lightning seemed fed up. "Look, I've already drawn the main portion of your stupid homework for you, missy. You are in no place to protest! Besides, you can always add on some stuff to the drawing to make it 'cuter' yourself. Color it with your 'cute' colors, doodle some flowers, rainbows, ribbons… what else? What else is cute?" she demanded, clicking her fingers impatiently at me.

I was just opening my mouth to answer when she cut me.

"…but if you dare tell me _you _are cute, I'll puke."

I was stunned for a while, but then I found my tongue again.

"Gosh, Light, that's super mean! How could you say that, you meanie!" I protested angrily, throwing my exercise book to her head. She caught it effortlessly, laughing at me.

"Alright, alright, don't throw things around. At least you get the idea, right? Just doodle some random stuff."

I was still pouting, but actually I was happy. Lightning smiled, and I always like seeing her smile. Too bad she didn't do it much.

I finally began laughing too, and pulled the drawing paper towards me to scrutinize the baby behemoth again. Alright, from this distance, it _was _actually kinda cute… I would just add on some things to it, like Light suggested.

Then a thought flashed through my mind that I can't help but giggle and say it out loud.

"Y'know, Light, your attitude is actually just so similar to mine."

Lightning gave me an exasperated look. "Seriously. What is this attitude of mine you say is similar to yours, really?" she sighed.

I tilted my head innocently. "Cute, of course."

I think the pencil cracked in Lightning's grip.

"I. Am. Not. Cute," she growled, stressing each word. I burst out laughing upon seeing her expression, and I did not manage to stop laughing even when she threw me her death glare.

It was when she threw me a tantrum that I finally forced myself to stop laughing at her.

"Stop laughing. You continue this two seconds longer and I'll draw a bloody human corpse in that behemoth's jaws. And I won't care how you are going to explain the cuteness of _that_ drawing to your teacher tomorrow."

"Alright, alright, sis! I stop laughing now, see? Thanks for the drawing, by the way!" I giggled, blowing her a kiss.

Lightning just grumbled and said, "You'd better not ask me to do this kind of nonsense again in the future."

I laughed. And that, that's exactly what happiness was to me back then. Sitting with my sister, just being with her without any worries in my mind. Because even though Lightning may act all cold and aloof, I know she has a soft side too. And whenever I'm with her, it feels like everything is gonna be alright.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Gah I'm so sorry, guys D: I actually wanted to write more in this chapter, but I simply didn't have the time. With 'O' Level exams being just a few months away, school is going berserk. So I'll still continue with the flashback in the next chapter, I'll tie up everything there ^^ bout Light entering the GC and all~_

* * *

><p><em>Aside from that, my friend ClaireAlpha actually asked me how I get all these ideas... I just want to answer her question, but you dont have to read this if you dont want to. I'm not sure if I can explain it properly, but one thing is certain: those ideas did not come overnight. <em>

_I basically started this fic with a very general outline, based on things I like and wanted to see in the game. For example, LightxSerah's past and more fighting :P Then I just developed the plot from there, like Barthandelus as the main enemy and stuff. After that, everyday I keep my phone/notebook nearby so I can jot down every random idea I get. I transfer them all to a document in my computer, arranging them based on chronological order. Because sometimes the idea I get is actually for the later chapters :P After I've got sufficient ideas, I would start writing out the chapter itself._

_Haha, so that document is basically a 77-page motherlode of ideas xD Some I already used in the fic, some I decided to exclude, and some are planned for the next chapters. I have to admit, sometimes I would write half a chapter before realizing that it doesnt fit in well with the rest of the fic. So I'd remove it, and start writing all over again. But although I remove some, I never delete any idea. I just leave them there in the document, along with the 'discarded' chapters O.o_

_For some of those ideas, I got them right as I am writing the chapter itself. May call it luck :P For some others, I have to specially sit down and rack my brain to create 'em. Quite fun actually, just fantasizing bout Lightning, Vanille, Fang and all those awesome people :3 But some ideas just come from everyday's life. _

_Like, that time I was having a compulsory 3-day camp at school. They trained us to march (for dunno what purpose) and it was just super boring to stand still for hours in ranks in the school field. I started daydreaming then, imagining how cool it would be if Lightning, Fang and Vanille suddenly fall from the sky and start wreaking havoc amidst the ranks of students xD I would bow down and worship them :,) Hehe, bu__t the point is, this random daydream actually became the basis of that chapter 29 in Sunleth Waterscape, where Light, Fang and Vanille attacked the PSICOM post for info regarding Zalera :3_

_Another one would be... well, I was walking to school in the morning. Here the sun does not rise till 7, so the surroundings were still somewhat dark. Dark blue, actually. Then I walked past an empty field covered in tall grass, and started thinking: should a fight happen and someone get seriously injured in this dark field, it would be so difficult to find her body amidst all the tall grass. Especially if it's raining O.o Ha, try guessing which scene it turned out to become xD_

_So, ClaireAlpha. Hope that answers your question, buddy :P _


	37. Chapter 37

Another year passed, and before I knew it, Lightning graduated. It was a cold, lonely ceremony for her; I was still having school and couldn't attend it even though Light was the top sports student of the year. She left the school without having anyone close enough to say good-bye to.

But up till then, new problems had been arising in our life. It got increasingly difficult to live with Lightning; she was always so busy and sometimes went home so late from her trainings and all those stuff.

My school life started to get harder and harder. Not just the lessons, but problems with my friends arose too. I soon realized to my dismay that some of my classmates were keeping a distance from me because they were scared of Light. Even after I told her to stop accompanying me to my classroom in the morning, they still felt scared. While I actually wanted friends.

Despite all those new problems and my longing to ask for her help or advice, Lightning was never there for me. Nope, she was busy doing her own thing. That was, running around like a maniac. She even refused to skip her training on her own birthday, saying that another competition was coming. I had hoped that we would be able to spend the day together and talked again like before, but Lightning smashed that hope to smithereens. Didn't she know how much I miss her, how much I want to spend time with her? Yet she kept ignoring me and continued with her stupid trainings. I knew those trainings were totally needed, she supported our life with it after all; but couldn't she at least spend a little time?

So I tried to get more friends at school. But this was made harder by Lightning's stupid rules and her acting like an overprotective mother.

That time my friends invited me to go with them to Nautilus on Friday night. I was so delighted, I said yes and began preparing the stuff I wanted to bring along. But when I told Lightning, she forbade me from going! She said I wasn't allowed to go out so late at night, especially since I was only accompanied by my friends. Seriously. _Who does she think she is? She isn't Mom; why must she act so strict? Besides, I'm not a little kid anymore!_

I protested of course, and at the end we had a serious fight over that. I shouted at her, trying to make her understand how important that outing was for me in order to keep good terms with my friends. But Lightning said, "Your safety is more important than friendship."

That was when I totally snapped.

"Easy for you to say, you don't have any friends! You just don't understand!" I yelled at her angrily.

If Lightning was offended, she didn't show it. She merely lifted her eyebrows coldly and folded her arms.

"Well, I don't care. I still forbid you from going, Serah."

I was furious; especially because it was so unfair. Lightning locked the dorm room that night, so I couldn't leave. But she could still leave for her night training, by jumping out from the window. The thing was, I couldn't do the same. I was not some daredevil monkey after all.

I had no choice then. No matter how furious I was, I couldn't do anything. I could only call my friends and apologized for not being able to make it. I told them about Light, venting out all my anger towards her. At the end I realized I was badmouthing her behind her back, so I stopped although not entirely feeling sorry. I was still so cross with her after all, her being so bossy and overprotective. Doesn't she know how many friends I've lost because of her?

Since then, our relationship kept drifting apart. It didn't help with her being continuously busy. No time to chat or play with me, no time to help and advise me… In short, she did not do what I thought a proper sister should.

Then she graduated. And she dropped another bomb right on me, so suddenly, without discussing it with me beforehand.

She told me that she'd join the Guardian Corps. She'd registered and been accepted, and she would be leaving for the two-year intensive training in a matter of days.

I was left speechless for a few seconds, before finally finding my voice again.

"You're… joking, right?" I asked her, frowning but somehow managing to form a doubtful smirk. I really hoped she was joking.

"No, I'm serious. I'll have to leave a few days later… so I thought I have to tell you as soon as possible."

"Are you freaking kidding me? Why the hell didn't you tell me _much _earlier then, like before you registered?" Without noticing it, my voice had risen uncontrollably.

Lightning kept silent, and I laughed sarcastically. "What, were you too afraid to tell me, sis? Or are my opinions just worthless to you?"

"Serah, no… I just realized that there is no other choice to sustain our life except for me to join the GC. That's why I registered immediately without asking you first… because discussing it wouldn't change the fact that I'd still have to register."

"Of course there are other ways! We've been handling life good enough till now, right? With scholarships and stuff? So why the hell must you join the damn army?"

"Scholarships aren't enough! And don't you realize, we'll be expelled from this dorm once you graduate three years later, Serah!"

Great, now she is raising her voice too.

"Oh, I know what this is all about," I laughed roughly. "You just want to get away from me, right, Lightning? You've been ignoring me this past year, busy with your stupid trainings! You just don't want to have me keep asking you for help and stuff, right?"

"It's not like that!" Lightning growled. Despite her angry face, I vaguely realized that I've hurt her with those words. But I was just too upset to care that time.

"Oh? Then what is it about? Do explain, please. If you don't see yourself too high to explain something to a little girl, that is."

Lightning shook her head, her expression changing to despair. "Serah, try to understand. I didn't want to do this, but it is needed. We need the money, Serah, I can't let you continue living in places like this."

"Well, you most certainly never tried to understand me this past year."

Lightning sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know I haven't been a good sister… But really, Serah, I joined all those trainings and competitions just because I realized we needed the money."

"But joining the army is an entirely different thing, Light! Don't you realize people can _die _during the training?"

"I _am_ aware of the danger, Serah, but I'm sure I can handle it. Stop being so naïve; nothing in this world is perfectly safe! You can't even propose a better way to solve this problem, right? So face reality; I have to work soon—whether you like it or not—so you can continue your studies! Besides, we just won't be able to sustain our life without money."

I could feel tears of anger beginning to well up in my eyes. I realize what she said was true, but still…

"If our parents are here, they won't allow you to do this, Light!" I growled, trying to find anything at all to stop her from doing her crazy plan.

"Our parents are DEAD!"

_Smack!_

I totally lost control there. Without knowing what I was doing, I've stomped to Lightning and slapped her, hard. And she just stood there, her eyes slightly widened in surprise.

Meanwhile, I was trembling with fury. I never thought Light would say something that heartless.

"Don't you dare saying that again," I hiss with barely-restrained anger.

Slowly, Lightning turned her head to face me again. She no longer looked shocked by my outburst anymore. Instead, her face had assumed that expressionless mask that flared my anger even more.

That was when I decided that I won't have any result arguing with this selfish stubborn-head. She didn't care about how I feel, after all. If she did, she would've at least had the courtesy to discuss it with me before registering into the GC. But no, she didn't. She just sauntered right into the room and announced it, like my feelings did not matter at all. Doesn't she know how much I need her? Doesn't she know how much I've missed her this past year, and how I would be missing her even more if she leaves?

I shut my eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing. No, if that's what Lightning wants, so be it. She doesn't care about me, so be it. She can leave and get herself killed for all I care.

By then, Lightning was trying to say something. She opened her mouth and whispered, "Serah, listen…"

But I don't want to listen to her excuses.

Growling, I shoved her away from me as hard as I could.

"If you really want to leave, then leave! I don't need you! I hate you and your selfishness, Lightning!"

With that, I ran past her to leave the dorm, getting even more furious as I saw her stoic expression still did not change.

"How can you be so heartless?" I whispered as I threw one last furious glance at her expressionless face. Then I begone.

* * *

><p>And Lightning just stared emptily as Serah left.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Tch. If you don't need me anymore, then what am I alive for?<em>

Despite her stoic expression, her heart was throbbing. She clutched her lightning pendant, trying to overcome the pain. But it still hurt.

'_Striking every danger away from her'… what a joke. I can't even be a good sister, how much more protecting her._

Letting out a bitter smile, Lightning yanked her necklace off so roughly that its chain cut into her neck, drawing blood. But she didn't care.

All she wanted was for Serah to live the life her friends had; having a proper house of their own instead of this small dorm room, enjoying good food, comfort and such. That was why she decided to join the GC: it's the fastest way within her ability, through which she can earn money to provide her sister with a good life she deserves. But it looked like she had been hurting Serah instead.

…_What a lousy sister I am._

With that, Lightning carelessly dumped her necklace on the floor and left the room.

* * *

><p>It was cloudy outside. I walked around the hustle and bustle of town aimlessly, still staring at everything with anger. But then again, by now my fury has somehow subsided, replaced with fear instead.<p>

To be honest, I kinda regretted yelling all those terrible things at Light just now. Truth be told, her reasoning was indeed strong. We needed the money. _I_ needed the money, to further my studies and become a teacher like my dream. Besides, I know Lightning was strong. She was much, much stronger than me and most people. She had been training for years, after all. Her stamina was exceptional, her speed and reflexes formidable. Deep down, I knew she was capable to pass GC training.

But I just didn't want to let her go. I had been missing her this past year; I was hoping to be able to spend time with her this year, now that she had graduated.

"_Stop being so naïve."_

I blinked when Lightning's voice echoed through my mind.

Sighing, I had to admit that my hope was indeed naïve. Lightning was right; reality is harsh. No matter how much I wanted to spend everyday with her, it was just impossible. Being orphans, we had to fend for ourselves. We couldn't rely on the school dorm forever.

I shook my head in annoyance, letting out a despaired sigh. It was unarguable: Lightning's decision was indeed the best, regarding our circumstances. But… joining the Guardian Corps? Isn't that dangerous? I knew she was capable enough, but then again… accidents happen. What if she got injured during the training? What if she left and… never came back?

I gritted my teeth, trying to stop the fresh tears from falling. I was just so terrified, to think about the possibility of losing her. First mom and dad… then my sister?

…I don't want to be alone.

I clicked my tongue angrily. No, there was no point musing by myself. I guessed I just have to go home and talked things through with Light. Just now I was too upset by her sudden announcement, but now that I've kinda cooled down... I just had to talk this over with her again.

Besides, it was getting dark… the street lamps had begun to be lit up. And to make matters worse, it was beginning to drizzle. Deciding to hurry before the rain got heavier, I covered my head with my hands and ran back to the school dorm.

* * *

><p>I threw the dorm's room open, flipping my wet hair away from my eyes. The rain had gotten heavier just as I stepped into the dorm's compound, and my clothes were a little soaked. But it was nothing much; I quickly stepped into the room and looked around for Lightning.<p>

But she was nowhere in sight.

I frowned, a sharp worry immediately stabbing my heart.

"Light?" I called out, but there was no answer. Feeling my heart beating faster, I checked the bedroom, but to no avail.

_Alright, calm down. It's only 7 p.m. She might have gone out somewhere… _

I tried calming myself down as I walked back into the living room, but for some reason I just couldn't. Especially because my inner mind decided to speak up then.

"_Oh, really? In this rain?" _it said sarcastically.

I gritted my teeth and looked out of the window. It was true; the rain had gotten even heavier. I could even see flashes of lightnings and heard thunders roaring in the distance. The whole of Bodhum town must be taking shelter in their homes now… except probably one person.

_I've got to find her._

Deciding to look for anything that might help me figuring out her whereabouts, I scanned the dorm room quickly. I was hoping to see any message Light might have left, anything at all…

Seeing nothing useful in the living room, I quickly moved towards the bedroom again. But that was when my foot kicked something on the floor. I bent down curiously…

…And froze when I saw the object lying like trash on the floor.

Lightning's necklace.

Immediately a surge of thoughts rushed into my mind, in a speed that could've shamed even my school's debate club leader.

_It's hers. _

_It's hers, undoubtedly._

_Did she take this off? Why? She's never done it before…_

_There is blood on the chain. She didn't _take _it off. She _yanked_ it off._

_Typical Light. She tends to be rowdy when… upset. _

That was when I recalled with horror all those terrible things I've shouted at her.

"_I don't need you!"_

A small cry escaped my lips when I realized how it must have felt for Lightning. She's always been the one pulling the weight of our lives, she's always been the one taking care of me… channeling all her energy and time for me alone.

Yet I shouted at her, saying I don't need her—throwing everything she's given me back to her face like unwanted trash.

Tears of regret ran down my cheeks as I realized just how much Lightning has sacrificed her life for mine. It was true that she didn't spend much time with me like most sisters do this past year; but now that I think of it, there wasn't actually any other choice for Light. She was busy. Busy sustaining _my _life.

What a fool I've been. Do I really think Lightning enjoyed being alone and working feverishly? No, of course she didn't. But she did it still… For me. She might not give me exactly what I asked, but she still gave me everything I needed. Money, food… everything.

Besides, she'd never put anything else before me. I should've known this, because of that one incident that happened when Light was having her last lesson in class. My teacher suddenly walked in and informed her that I had fallen down the stairs, spraining my ankle. Light could've simply left me in the care of the teachers, but no. She immediately came running for me, lifting me up onto her back and carried me home safely. Without muttering a single complain about the trouble I'd caused her.

_What an ungrateful brat I am._

Letting out a small whimper, I quickly stuffed the necklace in my pocket, grabbed an umbrella and ran outside.

I had to find her. I had to find her, and apologize. I need her, I really, really do. I wouldn't even live if it wasn't for her after all.

* * *

><p>I searched for her everywhere. At the school, at the beach, at the running track where she usually trained, around the shops… everywhere. But she was just nowhere to be seen.<p>

It was really dark, even with the street lamps and other lights from the shops. Because of the rain, there was no one except me walking around on the streets. Everyone I saw was inside buildings, glancing curiously at me. Right, I must have looked quite devastated then. Running around desperately in the rain, eyes flashing from one corner to another…

Panic raised quickly in my mind. Where could she go? I saw the other umbrella we had was still in the dorm when I left, so Lightning hadn't carried it with her. What if she is drenched right now?

Suddenly I saw a flash of pink on my peripheral vision, and I quickly turned around.

There, I saw it again. A flash of pink hair amidst the people taking shelter under the balcony of a café.

"Light!" I called out, dashing quickly towards the building.

But as I got closer, I realized it wasn't her. It was just a red-haired woman, whose hair seemed pink from a distance because of the dim light in this rain.

I didn't even notice the curious glances I received as my panic grew.

Biting my lip, I forced my numb brain to think. Where else had I not checked? I've checked every place she usually went to. School, training place… even the beach where I usually study…

That was when realization hit me. That's right, why the hell didn't I think of it before? Lightning was upset. And her first reaction whenever she is upset is to keep herself away from people. In this town, there was only one place that provided her with that solitude, without any risk of having to meet anyone.

The forest. The tree that she always climbed, to study in solitude.

Without wasting any more time, I turned tail and dashed towards the forest. I didn't care about the darkness that grew more and more intense as I ran further from town, I only thought about finding her.

_I'm sorry, Light… I'm so, so sorry…!_

* * *

><p>Finally I reached the forest. Even though the rain has subsided, but the faint moonlight was hardly enough for me to see clearly. Yet I was too worried to realize all this.<p>

I closed my umbrella and started running as fast I could down the small path leading deeper into the forest. I'd been here before; when Light showed me the tree where she usually studied. Luckily I still roughly remembered the directions.

But even in my worried state of mind, fear started to gnaw at the base of my heart. The forest was so dark, and the shadows were really creepy. Especially the rustling sounds of the leaves and branches whenever wind blew. I found myself beginning to get more and more frightened as I ran deeper into the forest.

The next thing I knew, I no longer ran with worry fuelling me alone. Nope, fear was there too. Small whimpers escaped my lips as I tumble along the way, but I refused to stop.

"Light… Light…! Where are you? Please… answer me…!" I called out over and over again, but there was no answer.

After what felt like eternity, I finally arrived at the base of the tree. I looked up desperately, trying to make out figures in the dark. But it was useless; there was simlply not sufficient light. I could hardly even see the branches.

"Sis!" I shouted at the darkness of the canopy, expecting some kind of response. But nothing came.

Normal people would've walked away and gone home. There was simply no movement, no feeling of another human's presence to indicate that Lightning was there. But call it a hunch or anything, I just got this nagging feeling that Light was close. Probably somewhere on top of the tree.

My brain and heart fought then. My brain kept saying that there was nobody there, judging from the total silence. But my heart kept telling me to at least try searching more thoroughly. And that'd mean I have to climb the tree.

Again, my brain started screaming protests and objections. It was just being reasonable, really. I've never been good in sports, how much more climbing. Especially in this darkness.

But I was way past reason then. I was half-crying, half whimpering in desperation as I placed my hands on the rough tree bark.

_Lightning, Lightning, Lightning, Lightning…!_

Her name was the only word my mind chanted, almost like a prayer to keep myself going.

It was very difficult. The tree bark was slick with the raindrops, and the darkness did not help one bit. I kept sliding down after climbing a mere few feet. My sobs began to intensify as I kept failing.

"Ugh!"

I grunted in frustration as I tried to mimic Lightning's way of climbing. I jumped, trying to grab the lowest branch and hoisting myself up. But of course, my arms were not strong enough and I fell back down. My knees buckled under me and I fell onto them.

Gritting my teeth in pain, I ignored the bruises and grabbed the tree bark again. But it was then that a clear voice rang through the cold air.

"Y'know, you shouldn't be climbing trees in the dark."

My head immediately shot up, and my heart almost burst in relief as I saw _her. _In this darkness I could only see her silhouette, but I could never mistake her form. She was sitting on one of the tree's thick branches, her features blurred in the shadows. Had she not spoken, I wouldn't have noticed her presence. She was as quiet as an owl.

"Light…!"

Before I could say anything else, Lightning jumped off the branch and landed right beside me. Her face was as emotionless as always, but I sensed hollowness in it too. And it was my fault.

So, without giving her any chance to disappear from my sight again, I immediately crashed into her arms like a missile. I hugged her as tightly as I could, even as my tears broke.

After that, what followed was a series of rushed apologies mixed with a lot of sobs. I told her that I was so against her joining the GC simply because I was afraid of losing her. I told her that I was so, so sorry for calling her selfish, for yelling all those terrible things at her. I still need her, I really do. I kept crying and apologizing, even as I took her necklace out of my pocket and handed it to her.

Lightning was kinda taken aback by my outburst, but she soon calmed me down. She said it was okay, that there was nothing to forgive. And to my great relief, she took her necklace back.

* * *

><p>And at the same time, Lightning felt relief flooding her too. She was so relieved to know that Serah still needed her, that her sister didn't hate her like what she'd shouted earlier.<p>

She's still got a reason to live.

With a faint smile, Lightning wore her necklace back.

* * *

><p>For the next few minutes, I kept crying onto Lightning's shoulder, relieving all the worry, regret and fear that had been overwhelming me. And she just stood there, hugging me back as she tried to calm me down.<p>

"Hey… Serah. It's okay, really. There's nothing to forgive… So don't cry, alright?"

_Light's here, Light's back, she's okay, she's not angry with me, _chanted my heart in relief.

"But I really am sorry, Light…" I whispered again.

"Geez, Serah. I told you, it's okay. I'm not mad or anything."

That's right… Lightning has never stayed mad at me for too long, no matter how much I've hurt her. Now that I finally pondered it, I realized how lucky I am to have someone like her as my sister.

"By the way, where have you been…?" I asked her hesitantly, releasing her from my death grip.

"Nowhere in particular. I was just wandering around here."

That was when I noticed her wet clothes.

"Wait. You were wandering around here, since the afternoon?"

"Uh, well, yeah. But then the rain started, so I climbed the tree for shelter."

I frowned. "But why didn't you go back to the dorm, then?"

Lightning fell silent upon hearing this question, but I stubbornly waited for her answer. If there was one thing I learned from her, it was that stubbornness.

Finally, she answered me—despite in a low voice.

"I… figured you wouldn't want to see me."

_Typical. Very typical._

"And just because of that, you concluded that you should simply stay outside despite getting drenched?" I asked her in disbelief. "That's so stupid!"

Lightning just shrugged, and I couldn't help but laugh hysterically. That's Lightning, alright. Foolhardy.

But I was just so happy that she'd forgiven me. Sure, she said it was nothing, but still…

Shaking my head, I reached out to hold her hand and we walked back to the dorm together.

There we talked everything over again.

* * *

><p>Lightning filled me in with information about the GC that I needed to know. She told me that the intensive training would take two solid years, but she aimed to complete it in one year. It was possible; there had been cases where exceptionally-talented cadets were granted early admission into the army after just one year of training. Undoubtedly it would need hell a lot of hard work, but Light promised she'd be alright. She'd take care of herself, and she apologized for having to leave me during her training. But she promised she'd return.<p>

I was still very reluctant to let her go, but as she said… there was simply no choice. I would have to take care of myself while she was gone, and I didn't want to make her have to worry over me. That's the least I could do… so I just smiled and told her I'd be fine, that she didn't have to worry about me. I told her to go there and do her best, I told her I believed she can do it.

And upon hearing my approval, I could see Lightning was relieved.

* * *

><p>And so, in the next few days, I tried to spend as much of my time with Light as possible— knowing that she'd leave soon. Unfortunately, days seemed to gallop past so quickly right at that moment when I wanted them to stop instead.<p>

* * *

><p>Before I knew it, our last night together before Light left for the GC training arrived. I was doing my homework in the bedroom, while she was reading a book about the GC rules and regulations on the living room's sofa. She had been reading it for a while, and I was sure that she had memorized its contents by heart. I kept glancing at the living room, desperately trying to finish my homework so I could spend some time with Light before she went to bed. She needed to sleep soon, as she had to board the train that would bring her to the GC training centre early in the morning.<p>

At last I finished the last line of the biology essay question and slammed my pen onto the table in satisfaction. Slowly, I climbed up to my feet and walked into the living room.

I saw Light there, reading her book just like normal days. Different being, I knew this would be the last time I see her in a while. _If_ I'd ever see her again.

I approached her wordlessly and continued climbing onto her lap. Still without saying anything, I hugged her neck, leaning my head on her shoulder. Lightning immediately put her book aside and wrapped her arms around me, giving me the warmth I love so much. Something I knew I would miss when she left.

Lightning seemed to sense my sadness, because she tried to comfort me.

"Hey, Serah. Don't worry so much, okay? I promise, I'll complete the training in one year. Then I'll start working and we both can get outta here to our own house… A much bigger one than this sorry room."

I shook my head upon hearing this, clasping her face in my hands and stared right into her blue eyes.

"I don't want any big houses. I just want you to come home, Light."

Lightning sighed, moving her head forward and tapped my forehead lightly with hers.

"I told you, don't worry. I _will _come back… I promise."

But then again, I knew how harsh the GC training would be. They would push Light way past her limits, forcing her to become stronger and stronger. They would push her physical abilities mercilessly… Undoubtedly it would involve a lot of pain and suffering… but Light was willing to go through that, for me.

"Light, you don't have to do this, y'know," I said, trying to somehow change her decision despite knowing its unlikeliness.

Lightning scoffed.

"And let us live in a dumpster? No way, Serah. I wouldn't let your childhood end up that way… You deserve a better childhood than that."

_Figured._

No matter what I said, Light had made her decision. It was then that I learned to recognize that stubborn look in her eyes, the look that shows absolutely nothing can change her mind. All I could do was to spend as much time as it was left, with her.

Lightning hugged me again and cradled me in her arms. Somehow, despite my worry, I can always calm down whenever Lightning's strong arms are around me. Her firm grip always reassures me that she'll protect me from anything…

* * *

><p>I didn't realize falling asleep, but I woke up in the morning to find myself already in bed. It was cold… I reached out to my right, seeking for the warmth of Lightning's body.<p>

But she was no longer there like most mornings. She was gone.

I almost cried then, but I forced myself to control my emotions and climbed outta the bed. That was when I saw the object hanging on the bed's frame.

Lightning's necklace.

She's left it.

A sad smile spread on my face as I understood the implication.

It was Lightning's way of promising that she'll return. By leaving her necklace behind with me, she is silently promising that she'd return to get it back. She's never really told me, but I knew that necklace had a significant meaning to her. Probably something that gave her the will to continue living, that time when our parents passed away. And with this necklace of hers by my side… I could feel as if Lightning was by my side as well, protecting me like usual.

I touched the pendant and realized it was quite warm.

_Sis... _

With that, I clasped the lightning pendant close to my chest, and carried on with my life for one year alone.

* * *

><p>That one year felt like eons to me.<p>

Months after Lightning left, it still felt odd to me to come back to the dorm room at night alone, without her. And the worse thing was knowing that she would not come home anytime soon, that she would not step through the door like usual nights.

Ever since Lightning left, I hadn't heard a word about her. The GC training was very strict, and they didn't allow the cadets to have any contact with family members. For me, it felt as though my sister just disappeared into thin air. I didn't know how she was doing; whether she was okay, exhausted, or even injured.

Even my schoolmates began to talk behind my back, criticizing Lightning for 'irresponsibly leaving her little sister alone.' I could feel their stares whenever I walked around the school's corridor, hear their hushed whispers about how miserable my life must be.

But I ignored them all. I didn't care what they said; I didn't care even though sometimes my heart still throbbed with longing whenever I saw sisters walking together in town, holding hands.

Because I knew that I have the best sister in the world, a sister who was somewhere out there fighting for me. Even though I could not see her, but I knew I was never alone. Somewhere out there, she is still caring for me.

And I wore Lightning's necklace close to my heart. It was a steadfast reminder of her promise, the promise that I would surely see my sister again. Someday.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **Ever wondered why the in-game Serah seems so ungrateful towards Light? Well, I've always been thinking hard about that, because Serah's 'I-love-Snow-and-heck-care-about-Light' attitude in the game really irks me._

_I figured that Light and Serah might have had a fight regarding Lightning's decision to join the GC, like the one happening in this chap. Different being, probably the in-game Serah never came to realize how much Light loves her and how that decision was made simply because Lightning cares about her future. Probably she took Lightning for granted, even until she met that idiot and ignored Light even more. And for Makers' sake, Light just kept quiet and didn't say anything about it. She really expects nothing back from Serah, despite everything she's done for that ungrateful girl. _

_Heck, Lightning didn't even get a proper thank-you from Serah after she saved her from crystalstasis at the end of the game, right? Yet she doesn't seem to mind, despite knowing that Serah would soon leave her to marry Snow. She lets Serah go, because Serah seems to be happier with Snow. She only cares about her sister's happiness._

_But my question is: is Lightning herself happy? _

_I don't think so. She was simply left alone, after all the years she's spent looking after Serah. _

_But that's not gonna happen in this fic, yea? Lightning deserves something much better, considering everything she's been through. This is the reason why I spend some chapters in this fic developing the bond between Lightning and Vanille and Fang. I just don't want Lightning to be so lonely—she needs some real friends, who care about her. Vanille and Fang._

_This is also the same reason as on why I wrote this chapter, where Serah realized how much Light loves her and finally gave Light the apology and thanks she deserves._

_Then again, I admit this chapter might just be a fantasy— because the in-game Serah is soooo much more different and ungrateful. _

_But at least this fic—and especially this chapter—is my homage to Lightning, for being the most selfless person I have ever met in my lifetime. I just wish that someday Lightning would be happy. _


	38. Chapter 38

It's been so long since I last saw Lightning. Since I even _heard_ about her. It felt… as though I didn't even have a sister.

Days passed, but I hardly noticed them. That time, it felt as though I was thrown into a tunnel in a speeding car: everything around me blurred into unrecognizable shapes. I don't even remember thinking about anything. I lived my life as per normal though; eating, studying, making new friends… But simply nothing got registered in my mind.

I lived that year with only one purpose: to wait. And it was quite lifeless back then.

* * *

><p>But then, one day my life started falling into place again, my mind started registering things again. Because of the arrival of one particular letter that although extremely short, still managed to send my heart jumping into ecstatic relief.<p>

_Coming home tomorrow. Bodhum Station, 3 p.m. Lightning._

I let out an undignified, happy squeal that I didn't even know can be produced by human's vocal chords. It sounded more like an excited squirrel, actually. But I didn't care.

_Lightning's back._

_Lightning's back._

_She's back!_

That was when all the memories of that last day I spent with her came rushing into my mind. Memories of her face, her eyes, her voice… and how much I've missed her.

Feeling a wide grin spreading on my face, I quickly threw my schoolbag down and kept her letter. I started doing my homework, determined to finish them all by that day.

Because I wanted to see Light, I wanted to spend time with her, catching up on that one year we had missed. I tried recreating her figure in my mind: her proud walk, her slim build, that husky voice, that rare smile of hers… and especially, that utter feeling of safety that only Lightning can give.

I missed Light. So much.

* * *

><p>I woke up early on the next day. Even though I knew 3 pm was still a long way to go, I couldn't help but feeling anxious all day. I studied first in the morning, then cleaned up the entire dorm room. Actually there wasn't anything much to clean, but I just needed to do something. I ended up wiping the tabletop three times just to occupy myself.<p>

I got tired around noon, but my mind was still joyous. I only thought about Lightning, trying to guess how she would look like now that I hadn't seen her in a year.

Then finally, it was 2:30 pm. I wore my shoes quickly and fumbled with the dorm's key, my heart too excited to even lock the room properly. When I finally managed to lock it, I quickly turned around and dashed to the train station.

* * *

><p>The station was not really crowded. It wasn't the holiday season, so not many tourists travelled to Bodhum. I looked around in the terminal, staring anxiously at the clock and train arrival schedule every minute.<p>

Then finally, the train arrived. I almost jumped in delight when I saw it stopping, its compartment doors slamming open and the passengers begun to alight. I tiptoed to get a better view.

_Where's she, where's she, where's she…_

There!

Even among this crowd, I can always recognize her pink hair. There she was, after one whole year of separation, finally standing within my reach. Lightning!

And the moment I saw her, all those lonely days I spent waiting for her felt far away, almost unreal.

* * *

><p>Lightning's back.<p>

She stepped out of the train, with her usual proud walk exactly like how I remembered it to be. However, she wasn't completely the same anymore. She'd changed. For a start, she was already wearing her GC uniform.

Then as my eyes moved up to her face, I finally got to see those familiar stoic expression and sharp blue eyes of hers—eyes that were scanning the crowd to look for _me._

As expected from Lightning, she found me amidst all those people quickly. I saw her eyes darted to mine, before a smirk spread through her face.

"Serah," she called out.

I forgot everything else around us then.

"Light!"

I just remembered dashing towards her, half-smiling-half-crying, shouting her name that I hadn't called out to for so long. Then I simply _crashed_ into her open arms with a force that would've sent other people falling. But not Lightning, of course.

"Whoa!"

I squealed in surprise then; when instead of hugging me back, Lightning grabbed my waist and lifted me up high in the air, her stoic face breaking into a smile. I reflexively grabbed her shoulders to balance myself and laughed as she spun me around, like how she used to do to me when I was much, much younger and lighter than now. Somewhere at the back of my joyous mind, I vaguely realized how much stronger Lightning had become.

Still giggling, I stared down at her face, the one that I had missed so much. It was such a relief, such a delight, to finally being able to see her face again, smiling at me.

Then Light put me down and gave me a proper hug. I immediately hugged her back, taking in the familiar warmth, her familiar smell…

That was when I touched her arms, surprised to feel the toned muscles underneath her skin. Lightning's body had always been lean since she was a runner in school, but not this toned. She really has gotten stronger…

But before I could comment, Lightning beat me to it.

"You've grown taller, little one."

I was stunned for a second by her remark, but then laughed heartily.

"You're still taller, though," I retorted, stepping backwards to scrutinize her body height.

That was true, she had indeed grown a few inches taller. Other than that, the other difference

I could spot at this close distance was her eyes. They were more serious, more focused, more… determined. No-nonsense. Calculative and logical, with no hint of naivety. And although I kinda missed the previous look in her eyes, that look which still contained some youthful impulsiveness, I was still delighted to be able to see her eyes at all again.

"I really, really missed you, Light…" I whispered, hugging her again tightly.

"Hey... Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere else," Lightning replied immediately, her arms winding firmly around me again… just like that last day before she left. And immediately that familiar feeling of safety surged into me, drawing my smile.

* * *

><p>That night, I could finally sleep peacefully. But what made my sleep much better was the fact that I could reach out to the other side of the bed again in the cold dawn, to feel Lightning's body warmth. I scooted closer to her, snuggling to her back. Her sharpened military sense woke her up the moment I touched her shoulder, but she didn't move away. Instead, she turned around and hugged me, and I slept peacefully until the sunrise.<p>

* * *

><p>Lightning always keeps her promises. She promised to return in one year, and then there she was, really returning to fulfill it. She was the only cadet in that period to complete her training in one year. All the other cadets were still doing their final-year in the training camp.<p>

I asked Light how she did it, what kind of training she went through, everything. But she refused to tell me a single thing, she just said, "I trained more than the rest. That's all."

I protested of course, trying to pry the information out of her. But this time, I lost. Lightning sealed her mouth shut, she simply refused to discuss anything pertaining to her military training. I think she just didn't want me to worry, but her silence disturbed me more. I wondered what kind of training Lightning had endured… It must have involved a lot of hard work.

I was even more amazed by her increased stamina. Even though she'd officially been accepted in the GC after completing her basic training, she still trained hard by herself. She jogged every morning, she could go at it for hours. Other than that, her fighting skills also greatly improved. She hasn't found her weapon of choice yet, like most new soldiers. That was why she only focused on hand-to-hand combat at that time. She was amazing—her reflexes exceptional, her speed unparalleled, and her strength formidable.

I asked Light to teach me some fighting skills once, but it was a failed attempt. She taught me to defend against an enemy attack, but I simply found it too scary whenever she charged at me. Just by seeing her approaching, it was enough to scare the hell out of me, making my limbs go numb.

Finally, Light lost her patience.

"For Makers' sake… Serah! Don't just freeze there when I'm obviously attacking! Raise your arms, defend your head, anything! You have hands for a reason, dammit!"

Okay, maybe fighting wasn't my thing back then. I gave up soon after.

* * *

><p>I had thought I could spend more time with Light now that she was back from her training, but once again I was wrong. Lightning was even busier than ever. She worked hard, taking missions left and right. Training every day, no matter the weather. In those early years of her GC career, she would leave earlier than me in the morning and return late at night. Sometimes they even called her on midnight for guard duty or something.<p>

But then, Lightning's hard work really paid off. She moved up the ranks quickly, and finally managed to buy us a house—the house we've been living in till today.

I was happy. My life was no longer riddled with discomfort. We had a house of our own, we always had enough food, and my studies' fees were secured. For me, I had nothing to worry about.

But not for Lightning. Even though I was so worried for her well-being, she refused to listen. She still worked feverishly, training like there was no tomorrow. And when I for once went to pick her up from the GC HQ after finishing school early, I found her working out at the gym. With that kind of hard work, combined with her outstanding fighting skills and speed, it was of little wonder that she got promoted to Sergeant so soon. I hadn't even graduated when she became a Sergeant.

It was also around that time that Lightning's superior let her try a wider range of weapons, expecting her to find her weapon of choice. Right, that was when Lightning discovered gunblades. Her superiors were skeptical about her choice, given that gunblades are extremely difficult to handle, although very powerful once mastered. At the end they let her try, and found out that Lightning was a natural when it comes to gunblades. She can use them as well as any higher-ranked personnel, even better perhaps. And so, the day she got promoted, they bestowed the weapon to her. She's never gone anywhere without it since. Blazefire Saber is her pride, her weapon of choice amidst hundreds of other weapons.

Lightning was busy. I was busy. We rarely had the time to spend together. But then again, there was nothing I could do. Without me noticing it, I spent more time with my friends rather than with her. At the back of my mind, I realized how Lightning didn't actually have close friends. Colleagues, yes. Friends? Don't think so.

But Lightning didn't mind. She said she wasn't feeling lonely at all. She's got me, that was what she always used to end my argument whenever I told her my concern. But then again… maybe she just didn't realize that she _was _lonely. Maybe she's gotten used to it, that she no longer felt it.

Luckily, there was another person beside me who actually cared about Light. He was Lieutenant Amodar, the kindhearted, easy-going GC lieutenant who noticed Lightning's potential and took her under his wing. After being her direct superior for a while, training and taking her into missions as his right-hand personnel, I think he's somewhat taken a father-like role to Light. I mean, he gives her advice, he scolds her whenever she does something foolhardy, and he sometimes even tries to humor her for her constant seriousness.

I like Lieutenant Amodar; he was the only one in the GC who knows that Lightning and I are orphans. The first time we met, I was going to the GC HQ to pick Light up when my school's dismissal time happened to coincide with hers. I was walking across the parade square when the Lieutenant suddenly walked over and spoke to me.

"Well, well, well. Little lady, your hair is reminding me of someone, y'know? Someone who looks a lot like you, but much grumpier!" With that, he roared in laughter, his friendliness making me laugh as well. Especially because I knew perfectly well who the 'grumpy' he was referring to was.

"Right."

I turned around and saw Lightning already standing beside me, one of her eyebrows raised slightly upon seeing her superior's antiques.

"Oh, there you are, Farron! This your sister?" Amodar stopped laughing, but his boyish grin was still plastered on his face. Obviously he didn't feel guilty at all.

"Yes, sir. This is Serah," Lightning replied stiffly.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Serah. You look much friendlier than your sister here, I must say!" Amodar chuckled as he shook my hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, too, Lieutenant," I replied, smiling. I threw Light a teasing wink, mouthing 'grumpyyy.'

After that first meeting, I still got to see Lieutenant Amodar quite frequently. Usually whenever I managed to find time to pick Lightning up, he'd be there with her. He was her direct superior, after all.

And after getting to know him better, I grew fond of his humorous personality. I even created a nickname for him, 'Daddy Bear,' from his father-like image and hunky physique. I was really grateful that he was there, to keep an eye on my sister in the GC. Especially because I've always believed that Light has this tendency to be foolhardy sometimes.

My worry was proven reasonable when one day, Lightning went home from a mission late at night, supported on Lieutenant Amodar's broad shoulder. I freaked out of course, hurriedly throwing the door wide open for them to go through.

After helping Lightning into bed, Amodar huffed and explained to me that Light got injured during the mission. They were fighting three packs of Gorgonopsids, and one of the cadets in Lightning's unit got his leg badly bitten. Another Gorgonopsid attacked him and he could not move, while Amodar was too far to help; he had thought that cadet was a gone case. But then Lightning dashed in and shoved the immobilized cadet away, getting her hip injured by the monster's gnashing teeth instead.

He told me not to worry, though. As I pushed a chair for him to sit on, he told me that he'd brought Light to the GC's infirmary and they'd treated her wounds. She was just a little exhausted from the loss of blood. It was true; I could see the bandages wrapping her hip through her badly-torn GC uniform.

But then I frowned, confused. "Um, but why didn't Light stay in the GC infirmary then?" I asked.

Lieutenant Amodar shrugged tiredly. "Well, Serah. I'm sure you know how your sister is. She is as stubborn as a chocobo; she refused to spend the night in the infirmary, she said she wanted to go home for you. She even tried going home by herself—but when I saw she could barely stand straight, I decided to lend a hand. Or shoulder, in this case."

"I thank you, sir."

I turned my head to look at Lightning then, who had just spoken with her eyes still closed. She opened one blue eye and nodded at me, signaling that she really was okay. I replied her with my deadliest angry glower. What kind of reckless decision was that? She should've stayed at the GC infirmary!

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Amodar waved his hand dismissively at Lightning.

"Save it, Farron. I just want to tell you something. You can consider it a debrief of today's mission if you want."

Lightning opened both of her eyes, focusing on her Lieutenant immediately.

"…But then again, maybe you can consider this as a scolding, too," Amodar added, narrowing his eyes at Lightning.

Lightning looked at him in mild confusion.

Amodar sighed, scratching his head in dismay. But then he focused his brown eyes sternly on Lightning's blue ones again.

"Farron, look, you are a Sergeant. An especially-talented one, with promising prospects ahead of you. You are simply _not _expendable. I'm not saying the lower-ranked cadets are, my point is that _you've got to be more careful. _We can't lose you for a mere cadet, you know what I mean?"

Lightning huffed, taking her eyes off Lieutenant Amodar's and instead chose to stare at the ceiling as she answered.

"I know. Don't worry too much, I'm not suicidal or anything. I do strive to preserve my life; I've still got something to live for…" she said, her eyes flicking to me for a second. But then she looked away again and continued.

"…But I just can't let my comrade perish without doing anything. He's in my unit; my responsibility. Back there, I knew that if I rushed in, I might get injured but would surely be able to save him. That's better, I thought… than having him dead with me perfectly fine. At least now both of us are alive, with mere flesh wounds."

Lieutenant Amodar was stunned for a few seconds upon hearing this, but soon he threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"Whoa, Farron. I don't know what to call you now, extremely logical and quick-thinking or simply foolhardy. You know what, you'll make a great General one day. Caring for your inferiors, yet logical and reasonable enough to preserve yourself."

Lightning raised her eyebrows in surprise, clearly not expecting such a praise. A hint of a smile played at the corners of her lips as she nodded respectfully to her Lieutenant, muttering her thanks once again.

Then Lieutenant Amodar turned to me. "Well then, Serah. Guess I'll leave it to you to take care of your sister, eh?" he asked, giving my back a pat. Well, it was a pat for him—but for me it felt more like a smack, simply because he was just so strong. But still, I smiled politely at him.

"Sure. Thank you so much again, sir—for everything."

His laughter boomed again even as he climbed back up to his feet.

"As I said, no problem. As for you, Farron, rest well, eh? Make sure you only turn up in the HQ when those wounds are all closed!" he chuckled, surprising me by reaching his hand out to ruffle Lightning's spiky hair.

Lightning seemed slightly annoyed, but considering Lieutenant Amodar had been so kind to her, she just forced a polite smile.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>After that, years simply passed. With each of us busy with our own work, we… drifted apart. I seldom got to spend time with Light, I couldn't even find time to pick her up from the GC HQ anymore. But there <em>were<em> some times when I could be with her, times that I cherished the most.

Like that time when it was my birthday, and Light took a day off despite having to do extra shift hours beforehand. I almost couldn't believe it when she said she'd spend the whole day with me.

"You… don't have to work today?" I asked her, incredulous.

Lightning just shrugged. "I'm all yours."

I wasn't sure why, but that simple answer was enough to make me squeal happily and jumped to bear-hug her. My brain immediately started spinning, making list of the places we could go to on that day. I was considering Nautilus, but decided against it as it was too far. The time we spent in train would be longer than the time we could spend in the park itself.

Then an idea popped into my mind.

With a smug grin, I grabbed her hand. "I know where we can go, Light."

"Hmm?"

"The mall! We can go shopping!"

Lightning's eyebrows twitched. I giggled, actually knowing how much she disliked shopping. But then again, she was mine for that day! She couldn't back out, and she knew it. Despite somewhat reluctantly, Light finally shrugged.

And she ended up escorting me all around the mall, her presence enough to keep me bouncing and giggling around all day. We really seldom went shopping together, not only because of our business but also because Light dislikes it. But still, sometimes I just forced her to come along. That was the other advantage of having a strong sister: I could always ask her to carry all the shopping bags. She'd protest of course, but hey, that was nothing my puppy-dog eyes can't solve.

Really, sometimes Light is just too nice for her own good. That was what I was thinking as I dragged her all over town, giggling as I saw her annoyed face amidst all those shopping bags she carried.

* * *

><p>And time just passed. Light continued working in the GC, while I continued my studies a few more years. I want to become a teacher in the future, something I always dreamed of.<p>

But before I could achieve that, of course, all the l'Cie mess happened and here we are now.

Yet one thing never changed: Lightning always keeps her promise to stay with me, even after all the fierce battles we've gone through. Yojimbo, Fafnir, Barthandelus…

Lightning always saves me, in every way a person can be saved. Since I was young back then, up till here and now.

* * *

><p>"Well, Vanille. That's all there is to it," I finally say, smiling at my red-haired friend who's been sitting straight all the time I told her my story.<p>

She grins happily. "Thanks, Serah. I really appreciate it, you willing to tell me about your past and all!"

"No problem," I laugh.

"Wow, Light really worked hard, didn't she? Good thing she became a Sergeant so soon! She deserves it!"

"Well, Lieutenant Amodar told me once that he's confident Light can become a General one day—considering how quickly she's climbed the ranks to Sergeant. Besides, she's naturally skilled in fighting and making strategies," I tell Vanille proudly.

Vanille sighs dreamily. "Whoa. _General _Lightning. With her own troops to command… sounds fitting!" she giggles.

I laugh too. "It does, doesn't it? Too bad the Sanctum pays more attention to the PSICOM. They sort of neglect the Guardian Corps… That's why the GC soldiers' promotion is always much slower compared to PSICOM," I add, clicking my tongue in annoyance.

* * *

><p>But despite her cheerful disposition, actually Vanille is feeling sad.<p>

Because now she knows. Now she knows, what happened that's made Lightning so cold and distant.

No one to turn to, no one to help, no one to even _care…_ she faced all those without cringing, staying proud and strong for Serah.

_No wonder your eyes always look sad, Lightning, _Vanille thinks, interlacing her fingers on her lap. _It must have been hard, hasn't it? Fighting alone, without being able to merely show your weariness…_

Knowing the truth does not make Vanille really happy. It's just made her realize how much burden Lightning is shouldering, and it frustrates her deeply not to be able to help. Besides, come to think of it… does Lightning even need her help?

"_It's not like Lightning needs any help."_

Vanille's eyes widen as she recalls that comment Sazh had said, back then at the Vile Peaks when this whole l'Cie mess just started. Back then, she had just met Lightning; she didn't know her well. She only saw her as the intimidating, formidable fighter with quite a degree of aloofness and stubbornness. She saw her as a loner. And just like Sazh, Vanille had assumed that Lightning would never need any help. She's the strongest among them, after all.

But she was wrong, very wrong. Now Vanille knows, that Lightning also needs help. She might not show it, but she does have feelings. She was just too used to hiding her emotions behind a cold mask, something that she must have adopted from those hard years of looking after Serah. But again, that doesn't mean she needs no help. She is just too selfless, too used to not asking for aid…

Vanille smiles sadly. If that's the case, then she's made her decision.

No matter how, she would try to reach out and help Lightning. Maybe all she can do is simply cheering the solemn soldier up a little, but she doesn't care. She'd still do it. Because if there is one thing Vanille wishes, it is to be able to—one day— see Lightning's eyes free of that abyss of sadness.

* * *

><p>"By the way, Vanille. Wanna see our old photo album?"<p>

"Eh? Sorry, what did you ask?" Vanille jerks out of her thoughts and focuses her eyes back at Serah. Whoa, she was just too deep in thought that she didn't even realize Serah was talking to her.

"Do you want to see our old photo album? There aren't many inside, but I think there is one of us when we were little," Serah says.

"Really? You'd allow me to see them?" Vanille asked, too elated to believe it immediately.

Serah laughs. "Of course. There's no reason not to, now that you've practically known everything about our life back then."

"Wow, okay then… yes, please! Lemme see! Thank you!" Vanille chirps happily, beaming.

"OK, just wait a sec, I'll take the album from my room…"

* * *

><p>Vanille's eyes widen as she looks at the pictures in the album. She thought the picture Serah referred to would be a happy picture of the Farron sisters when they were little. But now she realized how impossible that is; the sisters' childhood was far from happiness.<p>

Vanille blinks sadly, running her finger gently around the edges of the picture.

It is a picture of Lightning and Serah. The picture was taken from behind, so the sisters had their backs facing the photographer. But their heads happened to turn to the camera so Vanille could still see their faces.

"This pic was taken at the orphanage, when we were heading to our room. The manager's assistant called us, and when we turned, he snapped our picture," I explain. "He kinda startled us... I remember only feeling a little shocked when he suddenly snapped our picture—but Light was irritated. Maybe she thought he was trying to disturb us or something."

Vanille nods, humming softly as she observes the mini version of Serah in that picture. She can see that Serah already had her side ponytail then, only not as long as it is now. It's true; in the picture, the little pinknette had a mildly surprised expression in her face. However, being Serah, there was already a small smile forming at the tip of her mouth. Her eyes, however, had a certain desperation in them…

_Sadness after the death of their parents? Desperation in the kind of life she was facing?_

Vanille can never know.

Then the redhead shifts her attention to Lightning's image, who was standing right beside Serah in the picture.

That Lightning was different. She looked… wilder. Her eyes, they remind Vanille of those of a wild beast's. There was desperation in them, but also a fierce determination, one that showed she will do whatever it takes to survive. Her hair was also longer, especially her bangs which were falling carelessly in front of her eyes. Again, what Serah said is proved correct—Lightning was glowering back at the photographer in this picture. It was an angry glare, one that makes Vanille shudder just by looking at it. _Light does look scary…_

But then Vanille shakes her head quickly. No, she can't think that way. Lightning might look all tough and aloof, but it is just her way of hiding her emotions. She can't just conclude that Lightning is uncaring just by looking at her cold expression.

So Vanille looks closer at the picture, observing every detail. She was right; now that she's got a closer look, she can see this… emptiness in Lightning's eyes, the faint proof of the forlornness she's felt over their parents' death.

As Vanille's eyes travel to the bottom half of the picture, which was a bit blurred, she noticed something else. In the pic, Lightning's left hand was holding the small of Serah's back protectively, while her right hand is clenched at her side. That hand is bandaged. Now that she's spotted it, Vanille can also see the faint bruises on Lightning's left knuckles as well as a small cut on her cheekbone.

"Um, Serah, why was Light all battered up…?" Vanille asks hesitantly, frowning.

* * *

><p>I bend down to take a closer look. It's been so long since I last flip through these pictures, so I don't really remember the details. As I see that picture, though, I let out a nervous laugh.<p>

"Well, Light used to get into a lot of fights. The orphanage children weren't exactly very friendly to newcomers like us. They felt they were superior and expected Lightning and me, as newcomers, to do their share of the chores. Sometimes they tried using force to get us to do it… Light didn't take any of that crap, of course. And she proves them who's more superior."

Vanille giggles, muttering, "As expected from Light."

* * *

><p>Then the redhead flips the album to the next page. There really aren't many pictures inside, so Serah—she assumes—has arranged the pictures to one per page.<p>

Vanille's smile spreads as she sees the next picture.

"Nice one, Serah!"

I glance at the picture too and laugh. I point to the bottom left corner of the pic, where I've written the title of that picture. Vanille reads it.

"_Shopping Day"_

The redhead grins immediately. She begins observing the picture. In it, Serah seems to be in the midst of walking around town. She was laughing and pointing at something in front of her, but her face was half-turned to look at an annoyed-looking Lightning who was walking behind her. Lightning's hands were totally full with grocery bags—must be courtesy of Serah. Vanille giggles. This picture must have been taken on Serah's birthday—the one on which Lightning took the day off. That was nice of her, doing something she doesn't like just to make her sister happy.

Vanille was about to flip the page again, when the door slams open and Fang saunters in; sighing in satisfaction.

"Whoots, am I full! Thanks there, little pink hostess, your cooking is divine," the huntress smirks, giving Serah a mock bow.

Whoa, Vanille has almost forgotten that the others were just downstairs stuffing themselves.

* * *

><p>"No problem, Fang," I answer, smiling upon seeing the huntress' antiques. To be honest, I almost forgot the others were here too—I was too absorbed into telling Vanille our story.<p>

"Eh, by the way, the lazy buffoons have somehow switched on that box you call TV and are now busy with it. While little Hope is washing the dishes alone," Fang continues, chuckling.

"Huh? Hope's… doing it alone?" I gape for a second. "Oh, then I'd better help him!"

I jump to my feet and Vanille follows suit, closing the album.

"Oh no, Vanille, I'll take care of it. You can just stay here with Fang and continue looking at the pictures," I say to Vanille.

"Really, it's ok," I add as I see her mouth opening to protest.

Vanille sighs. "Okay then, thanks again… Serah!"

"You're welcome," I reply, walking out of the room to help Hope.

* * *

><p>"Fang. I know you came here just so you can escape the obligation of helping Hope."<p>

"Whoa, Vanille, you're good! That's spot-on!" Fang replies shamelessly, laughing even.

Vanille pouts at her friend. "You know, you shouldn't escape responsibilities like that—"

"Aww, come on, just relax. Hope's got it under control, yea? Now why don't we just continue looking at whatever you were looking there?" Fang cuts her, still grinning smugly.

Vanille sighs. "Whatever. Here, this is Serah and Light's album… Serah let me see it…"

"Hmm, not bad." Fang's grin widens as she sees the picture of Lightning being forced to carry Serah's groceries.

Then Vanille flips the page, and she smiles once again.

It is a picture of Lightning sitting alone on the house's roof, one leg bent while the other dangled carelessly over the edge. It must have been dusk time, judging from the reddish light and shadows in the picture. Lightning's expression was neutral there, as she gazed at the darkening sky. Serah must have been the one taking this picture—Light might have climbed to their house's roof and Serah peeked out of the window to snap her sister's picture. Probably Light doesn't even know about this.

And at the bottom of the picture, Serah has written a title for it as well.

"_All I Ever Need."_

Vanille's smile widens. Serah was lucky. Even though she suffered the blow of their parents' death, but she still had Lightning to take care of her. She had Lightning, who ensured she could have a good childhood and that she was happy.

Meanwhile, Fang is chuckling as she looks at the picture as well. "Still as solemn as ever, that Light. Has she ever changed?" she mutters.

Vanille giggles, shrugging. Then she flips to the last page of the album and lets out a happy squeal.

This picture is labeled "_Graduation Day—After the Ceremony."_

In the picture, Serah can be seen spreading out her arms, smiling hopefully at the much-taller Lightning in front of her. Vanille takes the picture out, and true enough, there is something else Serah had written at the back.

"_Asking Light to pick me up. But she says I'm already way too old for that."_

Smiling, Vanille flips the picture back to inspect it again. Lightning was bending down towards her little sister, and she was _smiling. _It was a genuinely happy, proud smile—something that Vanille really rarely sees. Light must have been so proud of Serah then; graduating as the top student and all. Vanille can totally picture the scene: Serah squealing "Pick me up, Light!" while Light just chuckled, bent down to face her sister and replied, "Aren't you way too old for that?"

Then the redhead's eyes flick back to Lightning's smiling face, and her smile widens. Lightning looks cuter when she smiles like that—_okay, maybe she'd get creeped out if she hears me using the word 'cute' to describe her_—but Vanille honestly really thinks so.

Giggling, Vanille shows the picture enthusiastically to Fang.

"Fang, do you think she'll smile if I ask her to lift me up, too?"

Fang raises her eyebrows and answers immediately, "No. She'll freak out."

Vanille pouts. Fang laughs at her, and reaches out to ruffle her bright-red hair.

"There, there, kiddo. You're done, right? Let's go back down and see how the others are doing," the huntress says.

Vanille huffs and stands up, placing the album carefully on the table. Then she bounces after Fang out of the room, heading for the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Yo, little hostess! Need a hand?" Fang grins, swaggering into the kitchen. She knows Serah doesn't, but she just wants to act polite in front of Vanille. Or else the redhead would scold her—something that Fang doesn't wish to experience. She still needs her ears, thank you very much.<p>

The answer comes as she expected.

"No, Fang, thanks! Hope and I have just finished," Serah replies, smiling as she wipes her hands dry. Hope is doing the same thing beside her.

"Cool," Fang smirks, intentionally avoiding Vanille's suspicious glance.

"Now what do we do—"

"Hey, Serah! Come here for a while, please?" Suddenly Sazh calls out, and everyone in the kitchen turns around.

Serah shrugs and walks swiftly back to the living room, Fang, Vanille and Hope following her.

"What's wrong?" I ask, stepping into the living room. Sazh and Snow are hunching in front of the screen, listening to some news about—_Primarch Dysley. _My jaw drops a little when I see it, but as I walk closer it actually ends.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong? Did they say anything about Barthandelus in the news?" I ask again anxiously.<p>

But to my relief, Sazh quickly shakes his head.

"Nah, nothing important, don't worry. We just called you because we were wondering… what's that small strange TV over there?" he asks, pointing at the smaller TV resting on the corner table. Fang, Vanille and Hope immediately look at it too, curious.

"Oh, that's Lightning's," I answer. "It's an army-exclusive device—it broadcasts emergency messages, video, or voice recording from any soldier or beacon who decides to send the signal. It comprises both the PSICOM and GC, so it's quite useful to communicate between the two arms of the military."

"Oh? So you can watch real-life military action whenever you want, Serah?" Fang asks, smirking. "That sounds like fun!"

"Not really, since Cocoon has always been very safe," I reply, shrugging. "There is usually nothing broadcasted here. I'm sure PSICOM would only send emergency broadcast like that if the situation is really serious—a nation-wide threat or something, that they don't want anyone outside the military to know yet," I explain, shrugging.

"Umm, if that's the case, then… can we like, probably, see Lightning?" Hope suddenly asks hesitantly. "I mean, the PSICOM is fighting her now, right? And since there's no way they can beat her, shouldn't she classify as 'nation-wide alert' to them?" he adds.

We all look at Hope for a few seconds, before his suggestion finally sinks.

"You're right, Hope!" I say, half incredulous that I hadn't thought about it. "Maybe they are broadcasting her right now!"

Without wasting any more time, I run to the device and turn it on. It is locked with a password, as expected from such a device—but I know the password. I forced Light to tell me, after that incident when she was lost in the Vile Peaks and declared MIA for a few weeks. My argument to Light was that I want to be able to at least know it if any emergency involving her happens.

Light was reluctant, but finally she told me the password. Actually, there was never anything much broadcasted in the device—but at least it's better than nothing. Should Lightning go MIA again, I told her that I'd watch the device twenty-four hours—looking for any broadcast that might say something about her. Lightning rolled her eyes, telling me not to worry so much. She said she wouldn't be that important to PSICOM anyway, to worth broadcasting for.

But now… Hope's right. Lightning has become so dangerous an opponent, that PSICOM would have no choice but to classify her under 'nation-wide alert.'

With my heart thumping, I wait for the system to boot. The others settle around me, watching the monitor intently as well. Shapes can be seen moving as the image begins to sharpen—we narrow our eyes to see clearer.

_Splat!_

"What the—!"

Right when the image gets into focus, a streak of blood appears on screen. There is really a fight being broadcasted—a beacon must be taking the recording right now, while all around it people seem to be getting slashed.

"What is that? Is that Lightning?" Vanille squeaks in worry.

Dread strikes me too, especially when the beacon's view clears up and a sharp image of the battlefield starts to appear.

We immediately recognize the place as Eden Station—but without any trains or passengers in it. No, the only people we can see are… the PSICOM in their black uniform.

The sun is shining brightly. It glares through the glass roof of Eden Station, illuminating its long, wide terminal that is being flooded with PSICOM personnel. There are so many of them; even much more than the ones Hope faced in Palumpolum before.

However, we immediately notice that some of these PSICOM personnel are already down. Not only that, they seem to be in panic. They are running around desperately, looking so terrified as though there is a demon chasing them. The broadcast has no sound, but we can clearly see that those soldiers are screaming.

Then my jaw drops, when I finally see Lightning stepping into the beacon's view—sitting tall and proud on Odin's back, bloodstained Zantetsuken in her hands.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Alright, I know! This update is way long overdue. Sorrryyy~ DD:_

_But yeah, my 'O' Level exams are coming. Only 74 more days left, and I would need every single day to do my revisions. So I'm sorry, but I'll update slower. Maybe monthly... until the exams end in December. Still, I swear I won't abandon this fic. I will finish it, no matter how long it will take._

_By the way, uh, just because I update less frequently doesn't mean I would rush the story. I mean, I like doing things in my own pace. Now the story is in a stage I call 'respite'. It's the time where Light and the rest would simply take a break and spend time with each other, after fighting hard in Zalera. May sound boring to some people, but yeah, I still won't rush it into the fighting-filled 'revenge' stage (the stage where the nemesis start rising hell again). Simply because I want to put in some... bonding time between certain people. If you know what I mean, lol._

_So, yeah. See you guys... soon, I wish. OTL Thanks for the support :_


	39. Chapter 39

_THAT FOOLHARDY HOTHEAD._

That is the only thought running through my mind as I watch the emergency broadcast with disbelief.

It seems that the initial wave of PSICOM have cornered Lightning to the far end of the terminal. However, Light has summoned Odin, and they are now dominating the battlefield again. She is currently on the galloping Odin's back, swiping Zantetsuken left and right, taking down soldiers as easily as flies. At the same time, Odin is unleashing his mighty Thundaga spells at the soldiers standing further. With that, they cut their way through the enemies—heading towards the terminal's exit.

However, something is clearly different with Lightning's fighting style. Her attacks are too straightforward, more focused on brute strength. As if she doesn't give the slightest damn about defense anymore, as if…

"She is hurrying."

I turn around at Fang, who's frowning slightly as she watches Lightning.

"What do you mean?" Hope asks, sounding worried.

Without taking her eyes off the screen, Fang shrugs. "I mean, look at her. See how she is fighting more like a Behemoth. Her attacks are too direct, too focused on strength that they lose flexibility. She is lucky the PSICOM are weak; if they are stronger and faster, they would've surely overcome her bold attacks and given her some good beating."

"But why is she hurrying?"

"Isn't that obvious? She's worried; she wants to get back to us. Serah especially, I assume," Fang answers, smirking slightly at me. "That's why she is focusing all on offense and no defense. Ha, while we are actually safe and sound here, watching her making a fool of herself!" Fang laughs, seemingly undisturbed at all.

Meanwhile, I can feel my worry turning rapidly into anger. What the hell is Lightning doing? How, for sanity's sake, can she just go on a rampage like that? I know she's worried about me, but that doesn't mean she can ignore her own safety. What makes me angrier is the fact that she doesn't look the least bit regretful of her actions. No, her face is as neutral as always; as if what she's doing right now is the most logical thing.

_But that's downright stupid, _I yell in my mind. For a soldier of her caliber, she should've known better than focusing everything on offence! I swear, when she gets home later, I'll give her a good scolding—and a slap to her head for every cut she attained. Because if she gets hurt, it would be her fault for dropping her defense like a brainless, berserk Behemoth!

My train of thoughts is cut when I hear Vanille slapping Fang's arm.

"Fang! Why are you laughing? Aren't you worried bout Light?"

"Worried? For what?" Fang drawls, rubbing her sore arm.

"There's nothing to worry about! Lightning is strong, yea? Even in her weakest state, she can surely win the PSICOM. She might be fighting recklessly now, and I can't guarantee she won't get hurt sooner or later—but I'm _sure _she'll win. So till then, why don't we use this ultra-rare chance to watch Lightning making a fool of herself?" the huntress grins widely, totally enjoying herself.

Vanille just huffs, her eyes returning to the screen. Watching Lightning fight is always stunning—even I, at my irritated state, am amazed by her strength. She is practically letting Odin gallop into the thickest PSICOM shields without even cringing, her eyes as serious as always. She holds one of Zantetsuken's blades in each hand, and swings the huge weapons easily. I don't even think I can make a single swing with it without dislocating my arm.

She looks like she is totally in the upper hand; no PSICOM soldier even gets close to her. She continues driving Odin forward, cantering towards the terminal's exit—

Then suddenly, we see Lightning glancing in the general direction of the camera. Her eyes widen slightly in alarm, and she quickly throws her head back—but not before a _bullet_ tears a gash on her forehead, above her right eye.

"What the hell just happened…!"

It all happened so fast—my mind only manages to register that Light has missed getting her head shot off by a hair's breadth a few seconds later. By then, Odin has retaliated for the assault; he kicks his front legs up angrily, before turning his head at the direction of Lightning's shooter. A moment later, a flash of Thundaga appears, guaranteeing the removal of that sniper from the battlefield.

"Whooots, the first cut of the day!" I half-hear Fang's remark.

I don't really register it though, as my hands tremble with rage. The usual Lightning could've never been shot that easily. Had she paid more attention to her surroundings, instead of only at her targeted victims, she would've surely seen that bullet coming! She could've dodged it easily, for goodness' sake…

_Dear sister… I'm so gonna have a looong talk with you about carefulness once you get yourself here, _I think venomously.

Meanwhile, Lightning is gritting her teeth, probably snarling angrily. Luckily, she doesn't seem to be in pain; just furious. I vaguely remember that Lightning hates wounds above the eyes. She hates the blood that keeps pouring into her eyes, blocking her vision.

Lightning shakes her head angrily, splattering droplets of crimson across the ground. She roughly wipes the blood off her eyes with a careless swipe of her arm, before shutting her right eye closed and lunges Odin forward again—ignoring the blood that still flows out, staining her hair crimson and meanders down her cheek.

"My, that must be such a distraction," Sazh comments as he watches Lightning's wound skeptically. He seems to disagree on her too-offensive fighting, but he doesn't look worried either. Lightning might have gotten a wound, but she's far from being defeated.

True enough, soon the blood flow stops. The stream seems to have dried too, since Lightning's right eye snaps open again to reveal her piercing blue eyes amidst the crimson.

However, the PSICOM seems to have gotten hold of their bearing again. They are getting more systematic now, no longer running around in panic. This isn't really good for Light, who stubbornly insists on offence.

Lightning's stubbornness gets its consequence a few minutes later, when a PSICOM Executioner manages to get close enough to her. Before I could even let out an alarmed cry, he's thrown his huge javelin directly at Lightning. Who is currently too occupied with bashing a group of PSICOM Wardens.

"Light, look out…!" I yell, despite knowing Lightning can't hear me at all.

But that javelin is shooting straight towards Lightning, who notices it a little too late. There is no time for her to block using Zantetsuken. Luckily, despite her currently-lousy fighting, her reflexes are still as quick as ever. Just before she gets hit, Lightning somersaults off Odin's back to parry the hurling javelin. She tosses one of Zantetsuken's blades to Odin mid-air, who turns back to his human form and catches the blade easily. Meanwhile, Lightning has landed safely and dashes immediately towards the Executioner. Needless to say, soon he succumbs under Zantetsuken's power.

Without wasting any time, Lightning moves on to target the next unit of soldiers. Odin immediately follows his master's lead and leaps towards another unit of soldiers—unleashing Flourish of Steel right at the same instant as Lightning. Rose petals scatter through the air with each slash they inflict, crimson as blood.

However, the next wave of soldiers is so huge that Lightning gets separated from Odin. They continue fighting, each holding a Zantetsuken blade. I can see Lightning glares furiously as her mouth opens, seemingly shouting in rage.

As if she hasn't acted stupidly enough, Lightning decides to move up to the next level of foolhardiness. She starts swinging Zantetsuken blindly, aiming only to get rid of the soldiers blocking her way. However, she becomes more reckless and the remaining few soldiers manage to inflict numerous shallow slashes on her arms.

Lightning's angry—she slashes at the soldiers with more strength than necessary. But while it certainly succeeds in taking them down, it also makes her wide open for attacks. Right when she takes down the second-last soldier, the last PSICOM Ranger slashes her right midriff—giving her a shallow but long cut.

Lightning steps back immediately, snarling. She drops Zantetsuken to hold on to her bleeding wound, but that doesn't mean she's down. Before the Ranger can do anything else, Lightning's left hand has grabbed his wrist in an iron grip. Then she twists his wrist so powerfully that he shouts in pain and drops his sword.

We all can see that the Ranger is obviously in panic—his eyes are darting around quickly, looking for anything that might save him.

Then his gaze falls on Lightning's stomach, where her gaping scar from Yojimbo can still be seen stretching to her left waist. And PSICOM soldiers are trained to exploit enemies' weakness.

"Oh no, this is bad—" Hope has just begun to mutter, when the Ranger punches Lightning right on her old wound.

"No!" I shout, lunging towards the screen. _No no no, please don't tell me that wound's gonna reopen now… If it does, Light will…_

We stare wide-eyed, half-expecting to see Lightning buckle in pain, or at least recoil. But we are wrong.

Lightning indeed looks a little surprised at first, when the Ranger hit her. But then she smirks sadly, shaking her head in mock sympathy.

The Ranger gulps, realizing with horror that he has made a grave mistake by attacking Lightning at such close range. But before he can retreat, Lightning has taken a step back and punches him right in the guts—he falls immediately.

Meanwhile, I think I might be getting a cardiac arrest soon after seeing all the recklessness Lightning has gloriously performed. I cannot even speak out words; I can only sit there trembling with rage, opening and closing my mouth in utter fury.

For a second there, I really thought Lightning's wound would tear open all over again and she'd bleed to death right there. That wound had torn _half _her torso, dammit. So why, for the love of Etro, doesn't she take better care of it?! Why didn't she protect it, why didn't she spare more attention to it? Doesn't she know that she can die if it reopens?! Well, it didn't, of course—it seems to have healed fully—but still!

The others are sending me the "uh-oh she's mad" glances. However, they are smart enough to keep quiet. I would most probably clobber whoever trying to talk to me, because I'm so mad, Lightning's so stupid, I think I can kill her with my bare hands right now—

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Light's mad!" Suddenly Snow's voice booms, followed seconds later by his laughter. My mental imagination of head-slapping Lightning disappears and I hurriedly focus back at the screen.

Another wave of soldiers is charging at Light, having just arrived from a newly-opened portal. They have clearly seen that Ranger succumbing to Lightning's strength, but it looks like they still have some guts to attack her.

But their arrival has wasted Lightning's patience entirely.

Without Lightning having to say any command, Odin has thrown his Zantetsuken blade to her. Lightning catches it easily, combining it with hers so that the mighty sword is now at its full length. Then, despite the sword's increased weight, Lightning lifts it above her head and starts—_how the hell can she even do it_—spinning it. We can see clearly her arm muscles tensing as she quickens the spin, making Zantetsuken become a gray blur in the air—a deadly gale. The advancing soldiers seem to slow down a little upon seeing her, wary of her upcoming attack. But Lightning isn't done.

My eyes widen as I see Wrath of Heavens forming in Lightning's hands, being channeled straight into the spinning Zantetsuken. A second later, the spell has crackled furiously, forming a whirlpool of thunder around Zantetsuken—amplified greatly by the sword's thunder element.

By then, the soldiers no longer advance; they stare in horror at the sight of the thunder tornado being formed right before them.

Then my gaze falls on Lightning and I freeze.

Lightning is smirking. It is a cold, joyless smirk, one that she only uses to intimidate her enemies further. Right at that moment, when her bloodstained face is illuminated by the eerie glow of the thunder, she looks so much like the harbinger of annihilation.

The soldiers shoot their guns at her—but to no avail.

Because right then, Lightning throws the spinning Zantetsuken at the soldiers. The sword hurls straight forward, along with the whirlpool of thunder surrounding it—destroying every bullet in its path.

Then Zantetsuken's Wrath hits its targets. Even though the broadcast has no sounds, but we can clearly see the soldiers screaming in pain as Zantetsuken cuts its way through the air, slashing and electrocuting everything. It is a massive area damage—all soldiers succumb to it in mere seconds.

Zantetsuken doesn't stop. It makes a wide arc mid-air, heading back towards Lightning. By now, most of the thunder has dissipated, leaving only a few branches crackling on the blade. And Lightning catches the mighty weapon firmly, swinging it downwards in triumph.

"Mighty fal'Cie, that attack is crazy!" Sazh huffs, his eyes still wide open. "Glad I'm not one of those soldiers!"

"Not bad! Anyway, that's it, right? The last bunch of retarded enemies?" Fang smirks, narrowing her eyes to look at the screen. She's right, the entire floor of Eden Station is practically filled with limp bodies now.

"No, wait! Look!" Vanille points, drawing our attention to a lone PSICOM Warlord who has been lucky enough to escape Zantetsuken's Wrath. He seems to have been hit by the thunder whirlpool, though, as he is currently crouching in pain. But he is still holding on to his javelin resolutely, looking up.

Then Lightning steps into view again.

She is walking slowly towards the Warlord, taking no haste at all. Her blue eyes no longer burn with fury—they look almost bored now. As she walks, Lightning swings Zantetsuken around nonchalantly, its sharp edges accentuated by the bright sun. The bloodstained blade seems to cut even the air; every swing of it creates crimson swirls of wind around Lightning.

At this menacing sight, the Warlord loses all bravery he had. Before Lightning get too close to him, he quickly scrambles to his feet and flees, jumping right into the portal he came from.

"Whoots, that's it! That's the last one!" Fang hollers, laughing fiercely. "Light's not bad, eh? I thought she would beat the crap outta that guy, but she chose to scare him off instead."

"So what's she gonna do now—" Sazh begins, but his words stop immediately when his eyes flick back to the screen.

Because immediately after the Warlord disappears, Lightning falls to her knees. Zantetsuken clatters beside her as her hands slam to the ground as well, no longer having the energy to wield them. She is clearly struggling to even breathe; her face winces in pain from her wounds.

That foolhardy deceiver! Her long battles must have drained her energy; she was just hiding her exhaustion in front of those PSICOM. But I should've known better; Lightning has been fighting nonstop since… when? Yesterday? She begun infiltrating Zalera with Fang and Vanille last night, and hasn't got a proper rest until now. And 'now' is nearly noon. Coupled with those wounds she's received, of course, of course she's exhausted.

"Please don't tell me she's gonna black out right there," Fang says, emitting worry for the first time. "She's gonna be in serious trouble if reinforcements come…"

"We've gotta do something!" Vanille squeaks, her voice thick with worry as well. "There has to be something we can do…"

But luckily, we don't have to take any extreme measures. Because right then, Odin appears—trotting to Lightning's side and nudges her bloodied face with his nose. I feel a little relieved when Lightning looks up and pats her Eidolon's neck tiredly.

Odin seems to be giving Lightning some healing spells, because she climbs back to her feet soon after. She picks Zantetsuken up with a little more effort than before and passes it back to Odin, saying something to her loyal Eidolon. He nods and takes Zantetsuken in his mouth proudly, before scattering into a thousand rose petals. The battle's over.

Meanwhile, Lightning is turning around and stares right at the camera. Her face quickly turns angry again, as she seems to have just noticed the watch beacon.

The beacon didn't have time to flee. We see Thundara lashes out from Lightning's hand, shooting straight at it—then the screen flickers furiously before going all black as the beacon gets destroyed. The emergency broadcast has been brought to a stop.

* * *

><p>We stare at each other, still too stunned to say anything.<p>

Snow is the first one to speak.

"Wow. Now Light is famous all over Cocoon's military!" he grins, still staring at the empty screen.

"Umm… but does anyone have any idea, as to how Light can get here?" Vanille asks hesitantly.

Sazh answers her. "Don't worry, kiddo, there are plenty of portals there, right? One of them must lead to Bodhum. Our Soldier Girl just needs some time to find it," he says assuringly.

Upon hearing this, Vanille smiles and quickly stands up. "Then we'd better wait for her! She can arrive here anytime!" she chirps happily.

"Missing her already?" Fang snickers, following Vanille.

However, after my initial relief upon seeing Lightning standing up again disappears, I realize I am _furious. _I can almost feel my blood boil as I recall her reckless fighting, her hiding her exhaustion, and basically her foolhardy, too-selfless-for-her-own-good mindset. If she continues doing it, she might really get killed one day!

"What was she _thinking_?!"

Right then, my anger explodes out. I stand up, stomping my foot angrily, ignoring the nervous glances I receive from the others. I just can't hold it in anymore; seeing Lightning fighting so recklessly has worried me sick, so now that she's no longer in death threat I am all set on scolding her.

"That foolhardy hothead! I always tell her to be careful, but she is just so… aarrggh!" I growl, unable to even conjure up proper sentences anymore.

"Does she think she can just ram into every enemy like a sledgehammer? Doesn't she know how _worried _I am?!" I continue scolding the air, practically seething with anger.

"What kind of lousy fighting was that, how the hell can she get injured when she could actually avoid it, how the hell can she let herself getting punched in _that _wound… I'm so gonna _kill_ her when she gets here!"

Upon hearing this last statement, Fang whistles in alarm. "Whoa, Vanille, mayday! Hurry and try to contact Light, tell her there is a _bigger _storm waiting for her at home!" the huntress says urgently, grabbing Vanille's arm.

"Or else we're gonna see li'l sis killing big sis!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Fine, I lied! OTL I said I would only update monthly and focused on my studies, but I just couldnt resist the temptation of writing today. Cos my English teacher didnt come to school, so I used the free time to write the draft for this chap. Gah. But never mind, I can always study tomorrow :p Just enjoy the chap, guys, even though I know it's short~_


	40. Chapter 40

Lightning is annoyed. Ever since her long battle at Zalera, she hasn't gotten a complete rest at all. She longs to take a good sleep, but obviously she can't do it now.

After the battle at Eden station, Lightning had found a portal that connects to Bodhum. She had used it, emerging right at the PSICOM post on the outskirts of Bodhum. Luckily, there was nobody there—all personnel had been dispatched to capture her. Which they miserably failed.

So Lightning could just saunter her way through the post, stopping only to wash off the dried blood from her face. Although the wound doesn't particularly hurt, but it is causing her head to ring unpleasantly. Maybe she's just too tired, after all…

Other than her head wound, the other injury that has been irking her is the one on her midriff. It is not deep, but it's long. Although her blood has stopped flowing a while ago, but it still stings whenever she moves.

But all that doesn't matter. Lightning knows she would soon reach her home, and reunite with the others. Then she can ask Vanille or Hope to heal her… she is too drained right now to even cast a simple Cure. But most importantly, she just wants to ensure that everyone is indeed safe and sound. That was the very reason she insisted on offence at Eden Station, after all.

* * *

><p>Finally, Lightning's stride brings her to the end of the valley. Her blue eyes gaze sternly at the house right ahead of her—the one she hasn't been in for so long. Her home.<p>

Well, seeing it looking so normal, so undisturbed… it makes her feel strange. Because her life sure as hell hasn't been normal since the day she left this house.

Shaking her head, Lightning continues walking across the sandy beach and up the stairs to the front door. She presses the password buttons swiftly, having been used to the familiar order.

The moment she opens the front door, Lightning immediately sees the others' footwear on the rack. _So all of them are already here_. Smirking, Lightning steps into the hallway, hoping to get some nice Curaga to seal her wounds.

But what welcomes her inside causes her to freeze on the spot.

Because right at that moment, Lightning feels the murderous presence of someone, staring furious daggers at her.

* * *

><p><em>Good. She is home.<em>

The moment I heard the password buttons clicking, I quickly stand up from the sofa and strides resolutely into the hallway. The others immediately scramble to their feet as well, their eyes anxiously following me. But they leave me to walk to the hallway to confront Lightning alone.

It was then that the front door opens and that foolhardy hothead steps in, oblivious to my fury.

_Welcome home. _

* * *

><p>"LIGHTNING FARRON!"<p>

That voice is so damn loud, it would probably manage to wake her up even if she was dead.

Lightning takes half a step back immediately, startled. There she is, just reaching her home, when she is greeted by Serah's shout. Her eyes automatically dart to her sister's, but she immediately regretted it. Right now, Serah's usual serene blue eyes are burning with fury, her eyebrows furrow into a deep scowl—an expression that Lightning recognizes with a pang of dread.

_Damn. She's mad._

"Lightning, you idiot!"

Another shout booms across the hallway, making Lightning cringe. Clearly Serah has no intention of stepping closer to her—probably wanting to maintain some distance so she can have a reason to shout.

"Uh, Serah, what's this all about?" Lightning asks, slightly nervous.

However, she realizes immediately that asking is a huge mistake. She should've pretended to know what all the shouting is about; because Serah's eyebrows just furrowed even deeper and she starts yelling even louder—as though they are standing on opposite sides of a football court.

"_What's this all about? _You know exactly well what this is all about, Lightning! This is about you—" she points accusingly right at Lightning's face—"fighting like a headless chocobo!"

Lightning twitches apprehensively, beginning to realize the bad situation she's in. Serah must have seen the Eden fight's broadcast… from that damned watch beacon that she noticed too late. And while Lightning's mind starts throwing curses at that now-R.I.P beacon, she also realizes that the trouble she's currently in is at… SOS category.

_I'm doomed._

She's sure of that, hell, she'd gone through this before and doesn't wish to go through it again. When they were young, Lightning had once injured herself out of recklessness. It was just a minor injury, but Serah was _furious. _She was shouting, yelling, hissing, and—to make long story short— basically scolding Lightning for hours. It wasn't about the injury, Lightning occasionally got hurt during missions—but it was because of her recklessness. It was because Serah knew that had Lightning been more careful, the entire accident could've been avoided. _That _was what she scolded Lightning about.

And now, the exact same thing is happening again. Despite her pride, even Lightning begins to realize anxiously that she had indeed rushed through that battle at Eden, forgetting caution in her hurry to get back to the others.

Lightning looks up guiltily at Serah, expecting the long scolding that is soon to hit.

_Looks like I won't be getting a Curaga anytime soon… ouch._

* * *

><p>I'm fuming—I'm almost at a loss of words now that Lightning is actually standing before me. There are just too many things I want to point out, too many things I want to scream about. But hell no, I won't let that prevent me from scolding this… foolhardy sister… to my heart's content!<p>

"Lightning Farron, that battle was the sloppiest battle I've ever seen!" I begin screaming, stomping my foot angrily. "And you call yourself a soldier? I saw _foolhardiness _in every attack you threw, Lightning! Attacking in a straight line like that, you think your enemies won't be able to dodge it sooner or later?!"

"Uh, but Serah… I was just—"

"Don't. Cut. Me. When. I. Talk," I hiss dangerously, narrowing my eyes at Lightning who has just tried to explain herself.

"I don't want to hear your explanation, Light! What I saw was enough to prove what a foolhardy hothead you are!" I continue. "Do you even know why I'm angry? It's because I know you're highly skilled, yet now you're standing in front of me half-beaten up like an amateur! You could've avoided those wounds had you been more careful, but no, you chose to be cocky instead! You attacked like a hamster!"

"Like a hams—"

Here Lightning's jaw drops slightly. Well, I guess she's never thought I'd refer to her mighty Zantetsuken/Wrath of Heavens combo as a hamster's attack. But nah, who cares—my point is, her attacks were so straightforward that they lost effectiveness! Like an angry hamster who keeps slashing its paws relentlessly! I think I might have hurt her pride with that simile, but it's her own fault for making me so damn worried!

"You know how worried I was, sitting here helpless while you fight so recklessly like that? I know you were worried about us, but that doesn't mean you can compromise your own safety, Light! I was sitting right there, watching you getting shot around, every second worrying that you'd lose your head next!"

The next fifteen minutes basically involve me listing out all the foolhardy attacks Lightning had done, all the injuries she should've been able to avoid, and basically all the recklessness that she'd displayed.

By then Lightning has fallen silent, while I breathe quickly in an attempt to regain my composure. Never, I've never been this angry with Light before... Because this time, she's really crossed the line. She has acted so recklessly, putting her own safety at risk...

Doesn't she know how worried I was? Doesn't she care how I'd feel, if she gets seriously injured? I've gone through it once after her fight with Yojimbo, and I don't want to go through it again. We've just been reunited after so long, after I've been spending every second waiting for her in the darkness of Zalera. To think of losing her again, so soon after I've finally had her in my arms…

And at that thought, all my fury suddenly just disappears, replaced with fear and frustration. I really, really don't want to lose Light… Yet her recklessness just makes it more likely to happen.

Before I can hold it in, tears begin to spring in my eyes. I inhale sharply, trying to stop them from flowing—but Lightning notices them. I see her eyebrows twitch in worry, and right then my self-composure crumbles and I just break into sobs.

* * *

><p>She knows that tell-tale silence; she recognizes those trembling lips and shiny eyes.<p>

However, before Lightning can even finish thinking, _No no no, don't cry on me now—_

Serah has already burst into tears, making Lightning feel like the worst, stupidest sister in Cocoon.

Ignoring the possibility of Serah punching her in her fury, Lightning quickly steps forward.

* * *

><p>"Serah—" Lightning calls out, hesitantly stepping towards me.<p>

My tears are still flowing, but luckily they are flowing silently.

"Don't you know… how _scared _I was?" I manage to whisper as I wipe away some of the tears. "When I saw you getting hit in that wound…!"

Lightning reaches me then, wrapping her arms around me. And although I'm still terribly angry with her, I find myself unable to push her away. So I just sob into her shoulder, my voice trembling.

"You know you can _die _if that wound reopens, right? You know how long it took for it to heal, right? And you know how close you were to death back then, right?!" Here my voice has risen again, but it breaks pathetically into a whimper.

Lightning sighs, hugging me tighter. "Hey, Serah. I'm sorry, okay? I know I've been acting foolishly back there, and I admit it. I'll be more careful… promise."

At the word 'promise,' I shift my head to look at her. Light never makes empty promises.

Lightning looks down to meet my eyes, a ghost of a sad smile on her lips. "Forgive me…?"

I sigh, looking away from her eyes. It's always like this… I can never stay mad at Lightning for too long.

"You never change—always making me worried," I grumble.

"Well, that's why I'm asking for your forgiveness, Serah. Please?"

Then I make the mistake of glancing at her face; and seeing her apologetic, pleading eyes.

_Damn, that's exactly the kind of look I always succumb to._

"Alright, alright, fine! Apology accepted!" I growl, wiping my tears as I push Lightning away. But just as her face start to look relieved, I glare again at her. Because this time, I've steeled my mind not to let her get away with just a scolding.

"But you're damn mistaken if you think you can just get away like that, Light! Your apology isn't enough!" I proclaim, putting my hands on my hips.

Lightning frowns and protests, "Why?"

_So dense._

"Because, Sergeant, you could've actually won that entire battle unscathed had you not attacked so recklessly! But no, you've actually gotten numerous cuts from mere grunts—whose skills are way below yours! That's why you are not fully forgiven yet!"

I glare sternly at Lightning, who has wisely chosen to look down to hide her head wound from my view. But that won't work on me.

"So, Light. What do you think you deserve after such a battle?"

Contrary to what I expected, Lightning looks up hopefully the moment she hears my question.

"Uh, I deserve a Curaga…?"

_What the hell._

"No! You deserve a punishment!" I yell exasperatedly upon hearing her answer.

Geez, Light can really get on your nerve sometimes. What kind of answer was that? A Curaga, really? Think I'll be _that _easy on her, just because she's apologized? Think again, sis.

"You know what your punishment is, Light?" I ask.

Lightning just stares back at me blankly.

Deciding to just spell it out for her, I growl, "No Curaga at all! Only bandages and antiseptic!"

With this sentence, I smile sweetly at her, deliberately cracking my knuckles. "And _I _shall be the one to stitch you up, dear sister."

Lightning's face pales upon hearing my words.

"This way you'll remember not to get injured so easily next time, won't you?"

* * *

><p>Sazh fidgets nervously. It has been fifteen minutes straight since little Serah started scolding Lightning, and her yells can still be heard through the closed living room door. Well, of course her fury is justifiable—Soldier Girl has indeed fought so recklessly that even he could spot the difference from her usual fighting style. But still, right now he cannot help but sympathizing her.<p>

Because Sazh is damn sure, Lightning must be having a hell of a time right now standing in front of that tsunami of scolding. If she hasn't been drowned, of course. Whew, he's never thought little Serah can be this scary. Amazing how her usual sweet, calm demeanor could change drastically into this dangerous explosion. Guess this is what Snow calls 'entering Farron mode.'

Ain't that scary... Even he, who is merely listening to the scolding from behind closed door, is frightened.

Especially after he heard Serah dishing out that punishment.

No magic healing—while Lightning is practically riddled with scrapes and cuts like that? Whoa, now that's what this old man calls hardcore. Poor Lightning—she must have been yearning for a good ol' Curaga.

Sazh looks around at the others in the living room. Hope and Vanille's faces have paled since Serah started exploding, and even more now that they've heard Serah's punishment.

Heh, but that Fang is snickering guiltlessly. _This cheeky huntress never grow up, _Sazh thinks. Snow, meanwhile, just chooses to busy himself with his gloves. He seems to be trying his best not to have anything to do with Serah's fury. Kinda wise, though… cos from what he's hearing, it seems like Serah has just rejected Lightning's appeal for a Cure. Being stubborn and strict must have run in the Farron blood.

"Well, then don't bother with the antiseptic and stuff. Just let the wounds be," Lightning's voice can be heard as she sighs in defeat.

"No way! I know the antiseptic stings, but that's exactly why I chose to give you that punishment! Now come!" there goes the little Farron's growl again, and—

"Whoa!"

Before Sazh has time to retreat back towards the sofa or anything that can provide him with some defense, Serah has slammed the door open and strides into the living room—dragging Lightning by her overcoat's collar.

Everyone in the room wisely chooses to stay quiet, although he thinks he heard Vanille letting out a happy squeal when she finally saw Lightning. That little Vanille must be relieved to see Lightning okay… although she doesn't seem really okay now that Serah is practically strangling her.

"Ugh! Serah, hey, I can't breathe!" Lightning grunts, tumbling as she got towed like a disobedient chocobo.

"Well, you've still got enough breath to complain," Serah growls back.

Upon hearing this last retort, Sazh is stunned for a second. But then he struggles to hold in a chuckle, as he recalls the similar cold words Lightning had said to him back there at the Vile Peaks, when they have just met.

"_We aren't soldiers! We don't have your kind of stamina."_

"_You've got enough to complain."_

Well, they are sisters after all—although Serah's scary side only shows up in rare situations like this.

* * *

><p>"Ack! Hey, that's enough, I'm fine!"<p>

Fang can't resist a grin from spreading across her face. She quickly looks down to hide it, although Vanille seems to have noticed it since she is sending her a nasty glare.

But yeah, who knows little pinknette can be this cold-blooded! After that looong scolding, now she still gives that Lightning a punishment, eh? Moreover, her punishment is quite creative. No magic healing, only antiseptic or whatever that is… interesting. Especially as this 'antiseptic' seems to sting quite a bit when applied.

So now Fang just enjoys smirking to herself, watching Lightning squirming and protesting under Serah's 'care.' Serah's got Light to remove her gloves and boots, and she is currently staring at the cuts and bruises disdainfully. Heh, this is a good bonus show for Fang—to top the satisfaction of having her battle partner finally reuniting with the rest of the gang.

Kinda funny to see that Lightning being ordered to sit still while little Serah—what is it she's doing again?— pours a confident amount of colorless liquid onto a bandage and wipes it roughly on Light's head wound.

And wow, Light is _wincing. _That antiseptic must be quite something, to make that stoic, stubborn soldier wince! Not bad, really.

"I said I'm fine, Serah! Cut it out!" Lightning protests again, throwing her head sideways to avoid Serah's hands.

But would ya look at that!

"Behave," Serah growls, yanking Lightning's head resolutely like a chocobo rein and smacks a plaster on the wound. Then she continues with drenching Lightning's arms with antiseptic, drawing a protesting grunt from the soldier. But yep, the little one just ignores her and continues her work.

Fang chuckles. Now, now, now. The mighty Lightning Farron has succumbed to her li'l sis! See, she can't even retaliate. It's always like that… all the ferocity and fighting skills she's displayed in front of enemies somehow disappear when she's faced by her own sister. Really, Light is just a big softie inside.

Meanwhile, Serah finishes her 'treatment' by wrapping a bandage tightly around Lightning's midriff. Maybe a little too tight, though, ha.

"Done! Up you go!" Serah grunts, leaping back to her feet while Lightning quickly complies. She looks relieved to have gotten it over, but remains quiet. Judging from the death glare Lightning throws at Fang, it seems like she's heard her chuckle after all. Fang grins back at her shamelessly. Always fun to irk Lightning.

"Alright, now give me your overcoat, Light—I'll fix it upstairs before I get you something to eat," Serah demands. She doesn't look too angry anymore now.

"Never mind that, just give me something to eat first," Lightning answers nonchalantly, leaning her gunblade against the wall between Fang's lance and Fafnir.

But Light freezes again the moment she hears that ice-cold, dangerously-sweet voice.

"…What did you say, _dear sister_?"

Lightning turns her head slowly to Serah, anxious.

"Uh… nothing, sorry," she says, quickly pulling her torn overcoat off and hands it over to Serah.

With a last grumble, Serah grabs Lightning's overcoat and disappears upstairs, taking the murderous vibe in the room away with her.

* * *

><p>"Ha ha, phew! Still alive there?" Fang whoops, slapping Lightning's back cheerfully the moment Serah disappears.<p>

"Welcome back, Light!" Snow laughs as well, approaching Lightning.

"Geez, your sister is sure strict," Sazh adds.

"Are you okay, Light?"

"Did it hurt much?"

"I'm fine," Lightning simply grunts, looking annoyed that Serah has decided to 'treat' her in front of everyone else. That girl really knows how to make her feel bad. Well, of course she's relieved now that Serah has forgiven her; but that punishment _really_ hurt. Guess it works, though… she has indeed vowed not to be so reckless next time, so as not to have to go through such punishment again.

But for now, Lightning is just content to see everyone back, safe and sound.

Although… a certain blonde and huntress are currently getting on her nerves.

* * *

><p>Vanille giggles as she watches Lightning growling angrily at Fang and Snow who keep teasing her regarding Serah's punishment. Whoa, she has indeed felt so bad for Lightning when she saw Serah pouring that 'antiseptic' on her wounds. It seems to sting much.<p>

But then again, they are sisters after all. Vanille smothers a chuckle as she recalls Serah's expression just now—her frown looked so alike with Lightning's. That was one rare moment where Serah's usual kind face changed to resemble her sister's cold one.

Yet still… Vanille doesn't have much faith in that 'antiseptic.' Hope said it's used to kill bacteria and prevent infection, but it stings when applied. Ridiculous, really. She bets a Curaga can do the job thirteen times better than that.

Maybe she can secretly give Lightning one later…?

* * *

><p>One hour later, the initial ruckus surrounding Lightning's arrival has dissipated. Everyone has calmed down, including—fortunately—Serah. The little pinknette has returned to the living room with some food for Lightning, as well as a plain white shirt that she throws right to Lightning's face.<p>

"I need time to fix your overcoat, you've done a splendid job ruining its clasps, sis," Serah grumbles. Lightning chooses to remain quiet and just wears the shirt over her brown turtleneck.

But other than that, everything practically returns to normal. Serah has started laughing with the others again, sharing their joy in managing to break out from Zalera.

Then they get down to the serious matter. What they are going to do next, with Barthandelus regenerating ominously somewhere in Orphan's Cradle.

They agree to briefly sit together and plan the next strategy; so everyone settle down on the sofas. Fang and Vanille begin by telling the others about what has happened since that last fight in Oerba.

* * *

><p>"Alright, so that day Barthandelus escaped and we don't really know where he is right now. Correct?" I ask, directing my question to Fang and Vanille. Lightning is currently sitting on the smallest sofa, while I curl up on her lap with my head resting on her shoulder. Fang, Vanille and Hope are sharing the biggest sofa, while Snow and Sazh share the couch.<p>

"Yep. He can be anywhere, but my bet is that he's somewhere in Eden," Fang replies. She glances secretly at Lightning who remains quiet all this time. To be honest, Fang isn't really comfortable with discussing Barthandelus' escape while Lightning is around. Who knows what's going on in that stubborn head of hers—she might still be blaming herself for that damn fal'Cie's escape.

Luckily, Sazh interferes right then.

"Well, fortunately we've got a piece of good info regarding that old Primarch," he says, nodding to Snow.

"Yeah! We watched some news about him right before Light's emergency broadcast kicked in!" Snow adds, grinning broadly.

"Really? And what was it about?"

Considering Snow's lack of good memory, Sazh decides to answer that question himself.

"Well, it says the Primarch has been gravely injured in his fight against the l'Cie. He has since sought out help from the fal'Cie Eden himself, and is now recuperating privately in the depths of Orphan Cradle. No one is allowed to see him, and all that deceitful crap."

"Whoa, then let's take advantage of his vulnerability!" Fang barks immediately, cracking her knuckles. "Let's go to Orphan's Cradle and beat him up!"

"We can't do that."

Everyone turns to Lightning when she speaks for the first time since the discussion started. Fang rises her eyebrows in disappointment. "And why not?"

"If they dare to broadcast such information in the news, it means they are hundred-percent sure that the l'Cie can't attack the Primarch. That means they must have installed top notch security around him," Lightning explains coldly.

Everyone falls silent as what Lightning said sinks in.

"Well, we can always try the old 'charge in guns blazing' strategy," Snow suggests cheerfully. "Like in the Palamecia, remember?"

"Right. Against all the PSICOM and GC generals, along with their battalion and fleets. We have very high chance of winning," Lightning replies sarcastically. "Palamecia was different. It was just _one _fleet, Snow. Imagine hundreds of them, along with countless other war machines. Probably even some overzealous, Primarch-loyal citizens trying to defend their wounded 'protector'."

"Oops." Snow scratches his head sheepishly as he imagines the calamity.

"…Now that complicates matters a bit," Fang mutters.

Everyone falls silent once again, mulling over their situation.

After a few minutes, Hope speaks up. "Umm, then why don't we just attack Barthandelus once he's left Orphan's Cradle?"

"But by then he would've regenerated fully, kid. Probably even with increased strength," Sazh points out. "And judging from our last battle's result… I think we have a pretty low chance of winning against a stronger Barthandelus," he adds carefully.

_He's right_, I think silently. _We're lucky to have survived that battle. Especially Light, with Fafnir and all…_

Fang narrows her eyes upon hearing Sazh's words, but before she can say anything, Lightning speaks up again.

"I agree with Hope. We just wait for Barthandelus to finish regenerating and attack him when he's out of Orphan's Cradle; spending our time training while waiting."

I look up in surprise at her. What is she up to, now? Don't tell me she's planning to use Fafnir again—I've seen by my own eyes what that sword has done to her. Hell, I won't let Lightning go through that again!

"But Light! How are we gonna do that? Use Fafnir again, while it has so nearly skinned you to death last time?" I object, frowning. "You may really get killed this time, and we may, too!"

Lightning growls. "Serah, you think I'm that stupid to keep trying the same strategy over and over again? I already know using Fafnir like last time won't work. But I've thought of an… alternative way of using it, a way that may negate its side effect on me."

Fang rises her eyebrow, impressed. She herself has been racking her brain to come up with some way in which they can exploit Fafnir's strength without the wielder getting burnt as well. But up till now, she hasn't come up with anything plausible. And now Light is saying she's got a plan?

"And that 'alternative way' is…?" asks Fang, when Lightning doesn't continue.

"I can't really explain it… I need to try it out first, because I'm still not really sure it will work."

"But how are you gonna 'try it out'?" Vanille asks, tilting her head. "Fafnir only works on fal'Cie, right?"

Here Lightning smirks coldly. "Yes."

"And which fal'Cie would agree to let himself getting bashed by you during training?"

"Titan."

"Ti—"

Everyone is gaping at Lightning, incredulous. Isn't that plan crazier than 'charge in guns blazing'?

"Lightning. You have three minutes to explain your plan clearly, before I bash your head," I growl in frustration. Seriously, her plan is getting more and more dangerous! Does she think Titan would remain still as she cuts him up with blazing Fafnir? Of course that monstrous fal'Cie would retaliate! And one hit from him can easily crush her bones to smithereens!

"Stay away from my head, it still hurts thanks to your stupid antiseptic," Lightning replies in frustration. "The plan's simple, really. I just want to check whether Fafnir would still burn me, if I use it in the alternative way I mentioned. Understand? I only need to hit Titan once to check it. I don't think that gigantic fal'Cie would even notice—Fafnir's just like a toothpick compared to him, after all."

"But why Titan, Light? Why don't you just try it on other fal'Cie, say, Bismarck?" Hope asks.

Lightning shrugs. "To save time. Because if I find that my alternative way works, I would immediately proceed by taking Titan's Trial… Fighting off those strong monsters he throws at me, using Fafnir. It'd be the most effective way of training, for our final battle with that decrepit Primarch. Meanwhile, the rest of you can train however you want."

Right here, Fang barks out laughing. We turn our heads at her, and she smirks back.

"You know what, I think Light's plan is cool," she proclaims.

Beside her, Vanille seems to think for a while, before nodding hesitantly. "I think so, too. I'm still curious about your 'alternative way,' Light, but I believe you know what you're doing although you can't explain it to us. That's why, I… agree with your plan."

"One suggestion," Sazh suddenly says, waving his hand in the air. Light rises her eyebrows at him.

"Since this would most likely be our final battle, we've gotta really improve our individual strength, right? So, I suggest we split up once we get to Gran Pulse—so we can train better…?"

"Whoa, nice idea! I like that!" Snow immediately answers, punching his fists together. His face breaks into his usual confident grin.

"We can do that. But not individually—maybe in pairs?" Fang adds. "Gran Pulse is dangerous, ya know. It still has many dangers lurking in places even Vanille and I don't know. If we are to split up, then minimally everyone must have a Medic along."

"I'll go with Light," I declare immediately. Like hell I'm gonna let her off training by herself around Titan! No, I'm gonna go with her and make sure she doesn't try anything stupid.

"Anything," Fang shrugs. "Vanille, wanna go with me?"

"Un! Sure!" Vanille giggles, agreeing immediately to her older-sister figure.

"That'll leave… the lazy buffoons plus Hope together," Fang smirks. "Have fun, kid. You're gonna have a load of work to do as Medic in _that _group."

"Hey! What does it mean? I'm not gonna lose to any monster!" Snow declares confidently.

"Yeah, yeah. Save that story for later," Fang yawns nonchalantly. "Alright, so it's decided, then? We're going off to Gran Pulse again, train our limbs off, then reunite in Cocoon once Barthandelus emerges?"

"Yes. We'll have to mug some PSICOM grunts for their portable screen, though—so we can check when the news regarding Barthandelus' recuperation occurs," Lightning says. "The moment it occurs—no matter day or night—we'll go to Cocoon on the next day, to wherever Barthandelus is. We'll meet up and join forces there."

"So we'll also need to steal some portal manadrives, then—to return from Gran Pulse," Hope points out.

Lightning nods. "Yeah, that too."

Then everyone falls silent as we realize that we have cooked up one terrific plan.

"Whoo, then for now we can slack for a while, right? Since Barthandelus would still take quite a long time to regenerate?" Snow asks enthusiastically.

"Obviously not," Lightning growls at him. "We've got to return to Gran Pulse as soon as possible, so we don't waste training time. We're leaving tomorrow."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's hardcore!" Sazh protests immediately. "You serious, Soldier Girl? You may have the stamina, but most of us don't! We've just escaped from prison, y'know! We're malnourished and exhausted!"

Lightning rises her eyebrows at him and is about to give Sazh a nasty retort—when I deliberately press on her wounded midriff. Immediately her words turn into a yelp, before she quickly suppresses it and sends me an offended glare.

"What was that for?!"

"Don't be so hardcore, now! Sazh's right; we all need some rest. Including you, Light!" I say, glaring back at her. It's true; everyone must be tired after this long prison break battle. Especially Lightning, considering she had to go through that Eden Station battle as well! I don't care what she says, I'm getting everyone including her to rest.

Lightning is about to protest again, but Fang cuts her this time.

"Y'know what, I agree with 'em, Light. We won't be able to train effectively in exhaustion, right? Besides, Barthandelus is still regenerating slowly… Might as well we take the opportunity to rest, yea?"

Lightning frowns, but upon seeing she is outnumbered, she finally sighs.

"Alright, fine. Three days; that's all. After three days, we're leaving."

"Woo hoo! Then let's go to Nautilus the day after tomorrow!" Snow shouts, jumping to his feet.

"What?"

"Serious?"

"The City of Dreams?"

"Yeah, why not?" Snow beams. "It's not like PSICOM has announced a nationwide alert about our escape. Nah, they're still hiding the fact, right? So no citizens know about us! We can easily mingle with them in Nautilus while we have fun—Nautilus is soldier-free!"

"Last time I checked, Nabaat and her goons were picnicking there, too," Sazh reminds him.

But Snow just waves his hand dismissively. "Last time was different! Barthandelus knew you guys were there, right? But now he's MIA, so there shouldn't be any soldier waiting for us this time!"

Upon seeing Snow's enthusiasm, we can't help but laugh. Except Lightning, though. But really, it sounds like a good idea… I'm getting excited too, to think of going to Nautilus with all the others. That theme park has so many attractions, even Sazh and Vanille were just seeing a part of it when they visited it last time. It's gonna be really fun!

"Well, I think it'd be great if we all go," I say, agreeing to Snow. He grins at me happily.

"Sounds fun. I wouldn't mind going," Fang smirks as well. "Especially since 'Nille here has been telling me how terrific that place is."

Vanille laughs. "It really is amazing, Fang! Snow's right; we should go together! Right, Hope?"

Hope seems hesitant, but faced by both Vanille and Snow's enthusiasm he finally smiles and agrees. Sazh, too, nods his agreement. That leaves…

We all turn our heads at Lightning, who looks really displeased by this sudden plan.

"Agree, Light?"

"Would it even matter if I disagree?" she sighs in defeat, standing up. "Whatever you guys want."

Upon hearing her answer, Snow whoops happily and high-five Vanille.

"It'll be fun! We are going to Nautilus!"

"Yeah, yeah. But as for now and tomorrow, let's rest up first," Sazh says, stretching.

The others chuckle and stand up as well.

_The prospect of having to go through tough training and final fight with Barthandelus is indeed scary, _I think inwardly. _But at least we can have three days of rest now—including one day in Nautilus! _

* * *

><p>"Whoa, is your clock spoiled or something, little pink one? It says now is only 3 p.m, but the sky's gone dark!" Fang comments in bewilderment as she stares intently at the digital clock on the table.<p>

"Oh, nothing's wrong with the clock, Fang—just that now is winter, so it gets dark a lot faster. This mid-day darkness is normal during winter."

Fang whistles. "Interesting. I prefer Gran Pulse, though—where the sun rises and sets consistently."

I just laugh and sit back on the sofa.

"Hey, so what are we gonna do now? It's still too early for dinner!" Snow asks, looking around for anything interesting to do.

I think about it for a while, before clapping my hands happily as an idea pops up.

"Why don't we watch a movie, then?" I suggest. "We can pick one that lasts for three or four hours, so by the time we finish we can immediately have dinner."

Snow beams at me. "Sounds good, Serah! I wanna watch a cool movie that involves guns and explosions!"

Snow's taste of movie is kinda outdated, but the others agree—so I just turn the screen on and randomly pick an action movie. Well, looks like this is Vanille and Fang's first time of watching a movie, so they don't particularly mind Snow's choice. Sazh and Hope just shrug, and Lightning doesn't even bother to look at the screen. Her gaze falls steadily at the dark sky outside the window.

As the movie's intro plays, I quickly jump back to my place beside Lightning. We have moved to the couch, while Sazh, Vanille and Hope occupy the biggest sofa. Fang and Snow both refuse to use the smallest sofa, they prefer lounging on the floor.

Right before the movie itself starts, Snow jumps up and turns the lights off, his boyish grin plastered on his face.

"More fun this way, right! Like in the cinema!"

* * *

><p>The movie has been playing for a while, and it turns out to be a tragic loveaction movie. Not exactly a normal combination, but never mind. The others seem to enjoy it, at least.

That's right, even in this dim room I can faintly see the others' expressions with the light from the screen. They are so preoccupied; eyes glued to the screen, where the two main characters are busy staring into each other's eyes before a tearful separation.

As more miseries hit the characters, I notice that Fang looks increasingly amused. Well, she's always got an odd sense of humor, after all. But on the other hand, Snow looks confused—probably he doesn't really get the tragic story. Then I saw Sazh's expression and struggle not to giggle. From his face, it's obvious that he is trying his best to hold in tears! But his effort is made all the more difficult, by Vanille who is already going all out crying right beside him. Hope, meanwhile, is trying to comfort Vanille awkwardly.

"Look at Sazh and Vanille," I whisper quietly to Lightning.

But when she doesn't respond, I turn my face to look at her.

…Lightning's asleep.

Her elbow is resting against the couch's arm, with her head leaning tiredly on her palm. She is breathing deeply; her spiky bangs sway slightly with each breath. She must be really tired… fighting for two full days, without proper rest. She must have been fighting off her exhaustion all this while, as we were discussing our strategy.

I huff as I look at Lightning's sleeping form. She looks so harmless, almost fragile, now… all the intimidating front she's displayed at Zalera and Eden has disappeared in her exhausted sleep. Just by seeing her like this… is enough to make all the remnants of my anger dissipate completely.

_Because she is just an over-protective, foolhardy big sis who always makes me worried._

Smiling, I bend towards her and whisper.

"If you're tired, then why don't you lean on my shoulder, Light?"

Well, I wasn't expecting her to hear me at all—she looks to be fast asleep. But she must only be half-asleep then, as she groans upon hearing my voice. Then, to my pleasant surprise, Lightning shifts her body and lets her head fall onto my shoulder.

I smile immediately, snuggling closer to Lightning and lean my head on hers as well.

_Yet you can be such a kid sometimes, Light._

I continue smiling contentedly. This is a little too good to believe. Against all odds, we've managed to break out from Cocoon's biggest prison. The nightmare has ended, and now we are all safe and sound. Including Lightning, who's saved me from that dark cell.

I run my fingers through Lightning's soft hair, admiring the pink shine of those spiky strands between my fingers.

* * *

><p>I didn't realize falling asleep, until suddenly someone switches on the lamps and the bright light wakes me up. Beside me, Lightning wakes up with a start as well. She frowns in annoyance, but when she realizes the movie has ended, she huffs and stretches her arms.<p>

"Hey! You two are cheaters! Stealing a head-start sleep, huh?" Fang says, as she notices me and Lightning who just woke up.

Lightning stands up with an annoyed grunt. "Don't blame me. That movie was nonsense—from what I heard, the climax seems to contain only random explosions," she scoffs.

"That's right, actually," Fang replies with a grin. "You made the right decision by skipping it for extra sleep hour, Light—the whole story's retarded. But Mr. Hero here thinks it's cool, while the old man there thinks the ending is tragic."

"But it _is_ tragic, Light!" Vanille squeals, defending Sazh who is trying his best to ignore Fang's last comment.

"Really... What's the ending then?"

"They died…!"

"Wow, that's good riddance."

Fang barks out laughing upon hearing Light's comment. She rests her elbow on Lightning's shoulder casually, grinning. "I know, right! It's best for them all to die, anyway. From what I've seen, their lives are completely filled with sorrows of the kind that are really… hmm, miserable. No-one can be _that _unlucky in their lifetime, believe me. Lady Luck ensures that."

Vanille pouts at Lightning and Fang, who have practically become partners in crime. The two of them are so mean! The movie wasn't that bad… Vanille glares at Lightning, who started the whole antagonism against the movie.

But Lightning just smirks lazily back.

"Maybe you should watch something else next time, Vanille."

"Like what—"

"Hey, hey! By the way, I'm hungry!" Snow suddenly declares, looking around hopefully for some food to pop up from thin air.

I laugh at his expression. "Don't worry, Snow. We can have dinner now."

Snow grins immediately, before jogging towards the kitchen—unknowingly putting the argument regarding the movie to a stop.

* * *

><p>"Whew, I'm full! Thanks again, li'l hostess!" Fang hollers in satisfaction. Actually the meal was just simple sandwich, but she seems to like it. Vanille, too—she finished eating her share in no time, and squealed happily when Lightning offered her some of her share.<p>

After everyone has finished eating, a cloud of lethargy hangs above the room. Everyone is getting sleepy, now that we've eaten dinner and the clock shows eight p.m. That's why, when Hope suggested that we all go to sleep, no one objects. We stand up and return to the living room.

I ask Light to drag out the mattress from the storeroom, and spread it out for the guys who'll be sleeping in the living room. They collapse on their respective sleeping spot almost immediately.

Rolling her eyes, Lightning switches the lamps off, grabs her gunblade and heads upstairs. Fang, Vanille and I quickly grab our respective weapons and follow her; but she suddenly stops, as if remembering something.

"Hey, Serah. Have you checked on the stargazing room?" Lightning asks.

Whoa, now that she mentions it…

"Oh, right… I haven't. I'll do it now—" I say hurriedly, but she cuts me.

"It's okay, I'll get it."

I am about to thank her when Vanille suddenly asks, "Umm, why must you check the room…?"

Lightning shrugs. "To ensure the roof's properly locked."

That's when Vanille remembers what Serah told her: the stargazing room's roof can be opened.

Vanille squeals happily. "Oooh! Can I come with you, Light? I wanna see the roof, too! Can I, please?"

Lightning seems confused by Vanille's enthusiasm—who is interested in roofs after all? But then again, this girl has shown great interest in odd things like _rocks._ So Lightning just shrugs, muttering her 'okay' and passes her gunblade to me. She then starts walking towards the stargazing room. Vanille hurries after her.

"I won't wait for ya, 'Nille! I'm sleeping first!" Fang calls out after Vanille, as she opens the door to my room. Vanille giggles and looks over her shoulder, throwing her binding rod to Fang.

"Help me put this in the room…!"

Chuckling, I say good night to Fang and enter Lightning's room, yawning.

* * *

><p>"This is beautiful."<p>

Vanille smiles happily as she leans on the balcony's railings. The balcony has an amazing, unobstructed view of the sea as well as the sky. The stars are exceptionally bright in the clear winter sky tonight—they look like crystals against the darkness.

Vanille giggles. This room is really nice. Lightning has showed her how the roof can open and close to reveal the night sky. Then she even lets her out to the balcony, which hangs elegantly over the sea.

"Don't stay out too long. It's winter; you may get a cold."

Vanille turns around when she hears Lightning's voice. The soldier has stepped out to the balcony as well, but she doesn't join Vanille in leaning against the railings.

"Hee hee! But the scenery is really amazing, Light. You have a nice house," the redhead replies.

"…Thanks."

Vanille turns to her left, and from her position she can see the curvy coastline. She can even make out the faint shape of Bodhum's firework sphere in the distance.

"Let's go back in," Lightning's voice suddenly rings again. Vanille sees her walking away, so she hurriedly scrambles away from the fence to chase Light.

"Hey, wait—"

However, suddenly Vanille feels a sharp tug on her wrist—followed by a jingling noise.

Her bangle!

Vanille turns around immediately, right to see one of her bangles falling into the sea below.

"Ah… aaah!" the redhead squeals, rushing towards the railings as she tries to catch her bangle. But it was too late—the bangle slips right out of her fingertips and into the sea. Without thinking, Vanille climbs the railings, planning to jump into the sea herself to retrieve the bangle—

"Hey, stop it! What are you doing?!"

Vanille has almost jumped over the railings when Lightning's strong arms coil around her waist firmly, preventing her from jumping over.

"My bangle! It got stuck on the railings when I moved away, and it fell into the sea—I have to get it! Let go, Light, I need to hurry before the waves—"

"No way I'm letting you jump into the sea! It's winter, dammit, your small body will freeze if you enter the water for just a few minutes—"

"But my bangle—"

"The waves would've swept it away by now, you can't do anything! Now stop struggling!" Lightning says in frustration as she drags Vanille back onto the balcony. "Forget it; your bangle's gone. You still have plenty more, right?" Lightning says, glancing at Vanille's wrist that is still filled with bangles. She thought she's said the right thing—when Vanille's eyes go teary.

…_Dammit Etro, why must everyone keep crying on me today?_

Lightning pinches the bridge of her nose in exasperation. She's never been good in comforting someone who's crying; besides, whatever she says always seems to make the person cry harder. But still, she feels guilty just by seeing Vanille's teary eyes.

"Hey… I'm sorry, okay? If I said anything wrong, I'm sorry! I was just…" Lightning's words disappear helplessly. Upon seeing that her words do not seem to help, she sighs and grabs Vanille's arm.

"Alright, that's it. Let's just go back in," Lightning mumbles. _I hope Fang hasn't fallen asleep._

* * *

><p>Back inside, Lightning takes Vanille to Serah's room, where Fang has switched off the lamps but is still waiting for her. The huntress is shocked to see Vanille standing in the corridor sniffling, and immediately approaches them.<p>

"Hey, what happened?"

"Her bangle. It fell into the sea," Lightning explains curtly, nodding at Vanille's wrist.

"Whoa. There, there, 'Nille… It's OK, yea? Come here!" Fang says soothingly, pulling Vanille closer and gives her a hug.

What follows in the next ten minutes is basically Fang comforting Vanille, assuring her that everything's fine. Something about memories not going to fade just because a keepsake is gone. Finally, the huntress manages to get Vanille to sleep. The redhead is already exhausted to begin with; the moment her tears stop flowing, she collapses onto the bed.

Fang smirks sadly, turning her head to gaze at the slightly-opened door— where a strip of light falls on the room's dark floor.

"She's asleep, Light. You can stop worrying and go to sleep yourself now."

The door creaks wider for just a few inches. Lightning's shoulder can be seen leaning on it.

"Is that bangle… important?"

Fang shrugs. "It's a gift from one of Oerba's elders. Sort of a keepsake from our home... a reminder of the memories we share there."

"…."

"Not your fault it fell, yea? Don't worry over it, Light."

"Sure… good night, Fang."

"Night-night."

The door closes.

* * *

><p><em>Memories… are golden chains that bind us till we meet again.<em>

She can't remember who told her that, but she still remembers those words. She's pondered over it during her childhood, and finally coming into conclusion that the 'golden chains' can be a double-edged sword. Those 'golden chains' can become either sweet reminders or unbreakable shackles depending on the memories involved.

But in this case, obviously Vanille's memories are those of happier days. Thus, that bangle might be her golden chain, a sweet reminder to her childhood.

Lightning sighs.

_That bangle's gone. It must have been swept away by the waves the moment it entered the sea. No use looking for it now._

…_But there's nothing wrong with just checking on it, right?_

Growling in frustration at her own inner voice, Lightning knows that she won't be able to sleep peacefully if she doesn't at least check on that bangle. Huffing, she stops thinking and strides back into the stargazing room.

* * *

><p>The night sky is darker, but the moon still casts its silvery light over the sea. The waves hit the coastline relentlessly, their sounds the only ones audible in the quiet night air. However, Lightning ignores all these and walks straight to the balcony.<p>

She leans over the railings—and her being one head taller than Vanille, can see clearly into the sea below.

A faint glimmer…

_Gah, I don't know whether I should call this good luck or bad luck._

Because Vanille's bangle is still there—stuck on a pile of rocks, moving silently with each wave. She may call it lucky, for falling in such a precise angle to get stuck on those rocks. But the bangle won't hold there forever. Soon the waves would have dislodged it from the rocks and sweep it into the ocean.

Lightning huffs. Serah would probably scold her tomorrow for taking off her bandages. But then again, she can easily lie by saying they are too tight—which is half-true. Besides, her wounds are not really that deep to require bandage.

_If only I have a more carefree conscience._

Without giving herself any chance to change her mind, Lightning takes off her shirt and rips away the bandages. Then she steels herself to face the cold, takes a deep breath, and dives as quietly as she can into the cold water.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Vanille's bangle has rested peacefully against her bedroom's door—waiting to be found the moment its owner opens the door in the next morning.<p>

* * *

><p><em>AN: This is kinda late, right? Sorry~ But I believe I've redeemed it with this long chapter ^^ Hope you guys enjoy it. Take your time reading, guys, cos the next chap will be... next month OTL But regardless of that, thanks for the patience and support! :)_


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: **_Uh, hi. Just a bit of warning: this chap has LightningxVanille interactions. For those who don't like it, feel free to ignore this chap :P _

_But please, if anyone wants to leave a flame review, don't flame Lightning or Vanille. __Flame me if you really have to. I can take insults aimed at me, even those nasty, baseless ones; but not at Lightning or Vanille. I respect and love them too much to let baseless insults take place. _

_That being said, I still hope you enjoy this chap :B I know I do, even as I write it out xD I had so much fun writing this._

* * *

><p>Vanille wakes up in the next morning to see gentle sunlight streaming through the window into the room. However, despite the cheerful atmosphere it brings, Vanille is still feeling empty. She always feels that way after crying for a long time. As in, she is not feeling better; but she just has no more energy to cry. She glances to her right, where Fang is still sleeping soundly. Then she looks again at her wrist, where one particular bangle is conspicuous for its absence.<p>

Vanille sighs, feeling a pang of regret and sadness. That bangle is her favorite—an Oerban elder made it for her as a present for finally mastering her binding rod weapon. Since then, she always wears it whenever she goes, whenever she fights. But that bangle isn't just a good-luck charm. It also holds memories of those days she spent in Oerba; training, studying, joining Fang in hunts... Losing it is like losing an old friend, a companion that has been with her for so long.

But then again… she can't do anything now. During the night, her bangle must have been swept far away into the ocean. Crying for too long won't help; it'll just make her drowned in self-pity.

Shaking her head, Vanille jumps down from the bed quietly. The room is warm, thanks to that odd machine Serah calls 'electric heater.'

The redhead walks towards the door, thinking of going down and probably help Serah with breakfast or something. Then after that maybe she can check the beach… _in case _her bangle has somehow been swept out there.

_What am I thinking? The possibility of that happening is zero. I'll only get more disappointed if I check and find nothing, _Vanille shakes her head again.

Sighing, she opens the door.

_Clink._

That faint jingle makes Vanille turn her head—

—right to find her bangle on the floor, just resting by her legs.

_I'm dreaming,_ was her first thought.

…_but maybe not?_

Vanille bends down hesitantly, poking the bangle with her index finger. It still feels cold—must be the result of being drowned in the sea.

But that's how Vanille realizes that it really _is _her bangle.

Letting out a happy squeal, Vanille grabs the bangle and immediately wears it again on her wrist. Then she all but runs back into her room, calling Fang.

"Fang, Fang, Fang! Look!" Vanille squeals happily, jumping onto the bed beside Fang and shakes her wrist right in front of the huntress' face.

Fang is still groggy with sleep, but she's already woken up the moment Vanille called out her name. She squints her eyes sleepily, trying to focus on Vanille's wrist in front of her nose. She doesn't see anything missing…

"Hey, 'Nille, sorry but I can't find anything miss—"

…Wait. Shouldn't something _be _missing?

That's when Fang's sleepy brain clicks back into gear, and she finally understands.

"Hey, your bangle's back! And you spent so long crying over it last night!"

"But it _was_ missing, Fang! It fell into the sea; but I don't know why or how, this morning I just found it lying on the corridor outside!" Vanille explains enthusiastically, a broad smile spreading on her face.

Fang falls silent upon hearing Vanille's odd story. That bangle fell, then returned by itself to its master? Cute, really, but still hard to believe.

"You… sure you weren't dreaming about losing it last night?" Fang laughs. "You know you sometimes do that, 'Nille; even back then in Oerba. Remember that time when you thought you lost your binding rod while it was actually still lying under your bed? Ha!"

Vanille flushes. "But… but I'm quite sure it was—"

"Nah, never mind, kiddo. What matters is that it's back, yea?" Fang says nonchalantly, throwing the blankets away and stands up.

"Eh, but I'm sure—" Vanille begins, but stops trying when she sees Fang striding into the bathroom, yawning. She smiles. Really, that's just Fang all right. Can't be bothered with trivialities. Something's missing; look for it. It's found; move on to the next problem. Which, in this case, must be her growling stomach.

But Vanille has quite a strong guess regarding how her bangle suddenly turns up on her bedroom's door. There is only one other person who knows about its falling into the sea last night.

Really, she just has to thank Lightning later—no matter how much that stubborn soldier denies that she was the one retrieving the bangle.

* * *

><p>"Morning, Serah, Hope!"<p>

"Morning, Vanille! And Fang!"

"Morning, li'l guy and pink girl… got any food?"

Fang immediately gets a slap on her arm from Vanille.

"Where are your manners, Fang! You don't just barge into someone else's kitchen and ask for food, right?"

Fang grins sheepishly, before turning her head back at Serah. "Sorry, benevolent hostess. Let me rephrase that: would you be so kind as to spare these refugees some food?"

I laugh upon hearing Fang's fake politeness. It is just so unlike her to be all formal like that. She's always been more like… the straightforward, confident type who can't be bothered with formalities.

"Sure, Fang, but Hope and I are still preparing the breakfast. Just wait for a while, ok?"

"'Kay. Thanks a bunch," Fang grins, nodding to them before turning around.

Right then, Hope whispers to me, "Why is Fang always hungry…?"

Unfortunately, the huntress' ears are sharper than he thought.

"Because, li'l guy, I'm much taller and bigger than you are. I'm almost tice your height, short stuff! So don't question me," Fang growls, narrowing her eyes at Hope who quickly pretends not to have heard anything. He busies himself with the pancakes, and this sight is enough to make Fang nods in satisfaction. At least the short stuff can cook well.

Vanille, meanwhile, has walked into the living room where Snow and Sazh are busy playing a game of cards. Sazh is winning; he roars with laughter as Snow frowns in frustration at his set of cards.

Fang leaves Vanille in the living room to cheer Sazh on, feeling contented upon seeing her little friend going all happy and bubbly again.

But wait, someone's missing…

"Anyway Serah, where's Light?" she asks, peering into the kitchen again.

I shrug. "She's still sleeping. I don't know what's wrong with her, but she's using two blankets although I've turned on the heater. I just hope she's not having a cold or anything."

"That so?" Fang tilts her head.

"Yeah. But I guess I'll wake her up soon for breakfast."

Right then, Fang's smirk spreads. She turns around and calls out for Vanille in the living room, "Hey 'Nille, wanna tag along? I'm gonna help li'l sis waking big sis up!"

Vanille looks up almost immediately. _Whoa, waking Lightning up? _

The redhead beams, and nods her head vigorously. "Of course, Fang! Right behind ya!"

Fang grins back, before turning at me again.

"Settled, li'l hostess. Leave that task of waking Light up to Vanille and I. We'll make sure she wakes up under five minutes, yea!"

"You can try if you want… but good luck with that," I chuckle.

* * *

><p>A moment later, Fang and Vanille march upstairs. Vanille is already bouncing around again, so happy is she with the return of her bangle. Fang just follows her, smirking lazily upon seeing her little friend's bubbly happiness. They're both rather curious, though, since Serah warned them that Lightning is kinda difficult to wake up on 'holidays' like this.<p>

Vanille doesn't really believe what Serah said, though. Seriously? That Lightning, who always wakes up first during their journey, who's always instantly on her feet the moment she hears something approaching? She is sure that kind of a light sleeper won't be too hard to wake up, holiday or not.

Without knocking, Vanille confidently slams the door to Lightning's room open and steps inside.

And immediately lets out a giggle.

There she is, the mighty Lightning Farron, curling up like a panther in a mess of entangled sheets and blankets. She has her back to Vanille and Fang, but they can clearly see she is still sleeping soundly from the gentle rise and fall of her torso as she breathes. And wow, she doesn't even twitch despite Vanille and Fang's grand entrance.

* * *

><p>Lightning is seriously tired. Her continuous fighting the days before has really sapped a great deal of her energy. And that reckless dive into the cold sea last night didn't help.<p>

She almost froze, dammit. She has returned to her room shivering, wiping the ice-cold water droplets off her body with a towel. But that wasn't much help. She had crawled into bed beside Serah with two blankets, despite her sister has turned on the heater. But really, she was still so cold even with all that.

That's why, this morning as the temperature finally warms up, Lightning just wishes to sleep in.

Unfortunately, a certain rascal and her cheeky huntress friend are all set on depriving her of that luxury.

* * *

><p>"WAKEY, WAKEY! Rise and shine, sun-Light!"<p>

That freaking high-pitched squeal, that damned yell… if only she has the energy, she would've strangled whoever it was making that noise.

Lightning is roughly half-awakened when Vanille squealed at top volume and pitch. However, the soldier manages to stubbornly keep her eyes closed, hoping that the annoying intruder would leave.

But of course, she's greatly mistaken.

"Come on, Light, wake uuup!"

Another squeal. Lightning groans in protest, tugging at the blankets to cover her ears.

But that's when Vanille walks up to the bed and pulls Lightning's blankets well off her.

_For the love of Etro—_

"Give that back!" Lightning growls angrily, her voice huskier than usual with sleepiness. She grits her teeth upon feeling the sudden coldness, her hands fumbling for the blankets.

But Vanille isn't intimidated at all. Instead, she giggles and shakes the blanket like a matador in front of Lightning's face.

"Olé! Come and get it, Toro!" Vanille chirps.

Lightning tries to snatch the blanket, but fails as Vanille dances away. Grunting, she decides to stop minding this overzealous rascal and just ignores her. With that, the soldier curls up again, drawing the sheets towards her to replace the blanket.

"Hey, come on! Y'see, the sun's risen!" Vanille says, yanking the curtain open. Outside, the clouds part majestically and the sun shines cheerfully right onto Lightning's face.

"Gah!"

_Etro, what the hell is that eye-gouging light…?! _Lightning thinks as she turns her body away from the offending sunlight.

Meanwhile, Fang watches Vanille's efforts, amused upon seeing how little progress she's made in waking Light up. Wow, really… the soldier's tough!

Vanille pouts, frowning at Lightning who is still stubbornly sleeping.

"Fang, she won't wake up…!" the redhead complains, turning to Fang.

The huntress laughs. "Looks like she's not only trained to respond quickly to disturbances, but to sleep against them as well!"

Vanille tilts her head.

"Shall we try the rough method, then?" she asks, rising her eyebrows at Fang expectantly.

This is what the huntress has been waiting for. Laughing, she simply answers, "Let's!" before climbing onto the bed and kneels beside Lightning. Smirking, she grabs a pillow and raises it above her head.

"On the count of three!" Fang whispers at Vanille, who giggles and moves to stand at the left side of the bed, near Lightning's back.

"1…"

"2…"

"3…!"

"WAKE UP!"

Right then, Vanille jumps onto Lightning, while Fang slams the pillow directly onto her face.

"Unf!"

"Graaaaah!" Lightning roars angrily, her piercing blue eyes flashing open. With a speed to match her name, her arm lashes out to hurl the pillow away from her face. With her other hand, she struggles to push the giggling Vanille off her.

"What the hell are you two DOING?!"

"We just want to wake you up, Light!" Vanille replies cheerfully, holding Lightning down with her knees and ruffles her hair as if she is a puppy.

"Stop that! Get off me! Quit giggling!" Lightning pushes Vanille, but to no avail. Her patience running off, she goes to drastic measure. Last resort.

"Odin!"

"Whoa!"

Before Fang or Vanille can react, the white knight has exploded into existence right beside them. Odin is gripping his Zantetsuken firmly, expecting a group of ferocious monsters attacking his master. He's so gonna rip all of them into shreds—

—But when the loyal Eidolon sees Hecatoncheir's master instead, pinning his master down… he freezes.

For a few seconds there, nothing moves—except Odin's mind as it tries to comprehend what is happening in the bed before him.

_Click._

Suddenly his mind comes into conclusion. Without further ado, Odin quickly and politely looks away—not wanting to disturb his master's… private… moment.

That's when Lightning's growl fills the silent room.

"Odin, don't get the wrong idea! This is NOT what you think it is! Get 'em off me!"

Odin is still confused, but his master has asked him to do something. He quickly complies, bending down to scoop Hecatoncheir and Bahamut's masters off his. He then settles them gently on the floor.

And with the violators of human rights gone, Lightning turns her back on Odin and falls into sleep again.

Meanwhile, Fang and Vanille are struggling to hold their laughter as Odin disappears, his expression still confused by Lightning's… unusual… summon. However, as soon as the intimidating Eidolon disappears, the two Oerban immediately leap back to their feet and send the sleeping soldier a critical glance.

"She's really tough," Fang comments, somewhat impressed by Lightning's ability to sleep like dead. "I don't think we'll ever wake her up at this rate, 'Nille… Say, wanna call _our_ last resort?"

"I agree. Let's bring in the big gun already," Vanille sighs, defeated.

With that, the two of them holler, "Hey, Seraaaah!"

* * *

><p>I'm in the middle of flipping an omelet while Hope helped with the pancakes beside me when I hear the commotion from upstairs. I sigh, knowing that must be Fang and Vanille trying to wake Lightning up. I'm quite sure they'd fail, anyway. True, my sister is a light sleeper and she can wake up quickly if she senses any danger. But on relaxed, safe days like this, especially if she is awfully tired—she simply sleeps like dead. One can never wake her up so early, unless they know the correct method.<p>

But that's when I hear my name being called by Vanille and Fang. Looks like they've given up trying to awake Lightning. Sighing, I slide the omelet onto a plate and turn off the fire.

"I'll be right back, Hope," I told the boy who nods as he adds chocolate chips into the pancakes. With that, I quickly walk upstairs.

* * *

><p>"What is it? Is Lightning being lazy again?" I ask as I stride into Lightning's room.<p>

"Yup! We've tried all we can, but she just won't wake up! Care to teach us how, Serah?" Vanille says, pouting at Lightning who is still curling up stubbornly under the sheets.

I purse my lips as I see her, sleeping carelessly as if it's nobody's business. She is covering her head with a pillow, but I can still see one of her eyes, closed tight with her eyebrow frowning dangerously above it. After all that thrashing around she's made, her white shirt is half lifted up, showing off her toned abs and that reddish scar from Yojimbo as well as the fresher slash on her ribs. All in all, she looks like a sleeping predator. Cranky and dangerous. Disturb-me-and-you-die aura is simply resonating from her.

But I'm not intimidated by any of these; I've gotten used to them. Besides, Light will never hurt me. And she's been sleeping for more than thirteen hours! Unless she's planning to go straight into hibernation, she'd better wake up _now._

"What've you guys tried on her?" I enquire Vanille and Fang.

"Snatching the blanket, opening the curtain, pillow-slapping and jumping on her," Fang answers smoothly.

I sigh, feigning deep disappointment. "Y'know, she won't even budge at those methods. They are too merciful. _This _is how you wake Lightning up."

With that, I take in a deep breath—

"LIGHTNING FARRON!"

—and shout as loud as I can. Lightning groans, but shows no other sign of waking up beside that.

"Are you sure you choose to sleep in?" I growl threateningly.

However, Lightning merely grunts, "Ten more minutes, Serah…" without opening her eyes.

My eyes narrowed. "Very well. It's your choice after all."

_No more mercy._

With that, I poke my finger mercilessly into Lightning's ribs, near her waist.

Immediately Lightning's body jerks. "Ser-aaaah!" she half-shouts-half-laughs as I continue my tickling mercilessly.

"Serah, stop it! I wake up, I wake up!" Lightning shouts, throwing the pillow aside and tries to squirm away from my fingers. Talk about karma, the sheets she's used to replace the blanket entangle her, preventing her from squirming away.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" I say, poking her weak spot with each word.

"I am!" Lightning shouts between gasping for breath and kicking around as my tickling continues.

"Well, you show no sign of it! Do I have to continue this longer?" I threaten, continue tickling even though Lightning is almost choking as she struggles to withstand my attack.

"No! Alright, alright, I wake up now!" Lightning shouts, finally kicking the sheets away and sits down at the edge of the bed.

I stop assaulting her then, and turn towards Fang and Vanille.

"And that," I say smugly, "is how you wake Lightning Farron up, people."

But Fang and Vanille are no longer standing; they are on the floor laughing so hard, clutching their stomachs. Fang even has tears of laughter on her eyes, so hard has she laughed.

"That was… awesome!" Vanille manages to say between her laughter.

"I would've never guessed the mighty Lightning is ticklish!" Fang hoots. "What a sight to cherish!"

"Thank you. Now we can go for breakfa…" feeling something amiss, I turn to look at Lightning—and my suspicion is immediately proven correct. She has indeed sat down at the edge of the bed, but her head is already drooping again, nodding slightly as she falls back into sleep.

"Oh, Etro," I huff exasperatedly.

"Wow. She's really good at it, isn't she?" Fang says in admiration as she begins to stop laughing and climbs back to her feet, along with Vanille.

My patience has run out. "Lightning!" I shout again, poking her once more. "Go down for breakfast RIGHT NOW!"

Lightning's head immediately jerks up when my finger makes contact with her waist. Groaning, she slaps my hand away, stands up and makes her way towards the door—with her eyes still closed. Normally she can easily find her way to the door without opening her eyes, but unfortunately her different position caused by all those tickling and thrashing made her disoriented. Instead of walking towards the door, Lightning walks straight towards the wardrobe.

"Wait, Light, stop!"

Too late. With a nasty thump, Lightning bumps her head hard on the wardrobe.

"Ouch!"

Lightning's eyes snap open immediately, her right fist automatically counterattacks the 'enemy assault' by punching the innocent wardrobe. She really overdid it—her punch makes the wardrobe creak pitifully and the piles of books on top of it rain onto the floor.

With another angry growl, Lightning quickly sidesteps away from the falling books. She rubs her sore forehead.

"Which imbecile moved the wardrobe?!" she bellows, fully awake now.

"Nobody moved the wardrobe Light, It was you who bumped right onto it! Now leave the poor thing alone, put those books back, then go down for breakfast!" I command with equal annoyance, frowning at her.

Lightning scowls dangerously. But still, she realizes that it was her fault. And so she strides angrily towards the scattered books.

I turn to my two companions, huffing. "Well, let's just have breakfast first," I say as I walk out of the room. "Light can join us as soon as she's done cleaning up."

Immediately Fang follows me, chuckling as she watches Lightning grabbing the books from the floor.

"Oi, 'Nille, not coming?" Suddenly the huntress asks, turning at Vanille who hasn't followed her.

"Nah, I'll help Light first," Vanille replies, smiling.

Fang's eyebrows rise, but she just shrugs and says, "Whatever you want, kiddo. But I'm starving, so I'm going."

Vanille grins. "Sure. See ya soon."

Fang leaves, muttering, "Still as nice as ever…"

* * *

><p>"I can handle this myself, y'know. I don't need your help whatsoever."<p>

Vanille looks up, her hands full with books. Lightning is standing before her, another pile of books in her hands.

The redhead chuckles.

"I know you don't, Light. But I still wanna help, as an apology for jumping on you!"

Lightning scoffs. "It took you all this time to realize how irritating you and Fang have been?" she mutters sarcastically, but only getting a cheerful grin back from Vanille. Obviously this little rascal doesn't entirely regret what she's done.

"Come on, Light, don't sulk! Fang and I were just trying to wake you up, but you made it so hard!"

"I'm not sulking," the soldier snaps, but her irritated scowl proves otherwise. Vanille giggles, deciding not to annoy Lightning further. Being woken up by a collision to the wardrobe like that must've been quite irritating.

"Sure you're not. Today is such a beautiful day, right?" Vanille smiles, glancing out of the window. Although the temperature's still cold, but winter is nearing its end. Sunrays are already streaming steadily into the room, bringing in warmth.

"I don't like winter."

"Eh?" Vanille tilts her head when Lightning suddenly says that. "Why not? The snow's beautiful!"

Lightning scoffs. "That's just because you haven't seen it in a while. But after facing three months' worth of the crap, you'll get fed up and long for all of them to just melt and disappear."

"Oh… yes, that's a good point."

"Hmph."

Vanille looks down again and grabs another book from the floor, fixing its folded cover. All these books are old reference books, some with scribbles on the pages. They must be Serah's, the ones she no longer uses in her studies.

"Come, give me those."

Vanille looks up and sees Lightning's hand gesturing for the books. She glances at the wardrobe, and immediately knows that its top is too high for her to reach.

"Here!" Vanille grins, handing her pile of books over to Lightning. The soldier stacks them on top of hers, balancing them easily despite their weight.

With that settled, Lightning turns around and stretches on tip-toe, putting the books back on top of the wardrobe. Vanille looks down again to collect the remaining few books.

But suddenly she hears a sharp intake of breath from beside her.

Vanille looks up, surprised, when some of the books fall again onto the floor. But before she can react, Lightning already bends down to retrieve them, a little too fast.

"Light—"

"I'm fine," the soldier snaps, throwing the books carelessly onto the wardrobe's top.

But what she's doing confirms Vanille's suspicion.

If she's really fine, she should've been able to stretch again to reach the wardrobe's top; instead of having to resort to throwing the books.

The redhead stands up to face Lightning.

"…It's hurting, isn't it?"

Lightning groans in annoyance, shaking her head dismissively. She grabs the remaining books from Vanille's hands and throws them onto their place up as well.

But Vanille won't just give it up like that.

"Let me check on it," the redhead pushes, grabbing the front of Lightning's shirt and lifts it up. The soldier protests, but she ignores her.

What she's suspected is proven true; Lightning has strained the wound on her ribs when she stretched just now. The sides of that wound are red, although it doesn't seem to be badly inflamed. Grudgingly Vanille has to admit the usefulness of that antiseptic thing, limited as it is. But still, the wound must be stinging quite badly.

Vanille presses her hand against Lightning's toned midriff, summoning a Cura. But before she can cast it, Lightning grabs her hand and pushes it away.

"I told you, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt much… besides, Serah said 'no magic healing.'"

Vanille giggles upon hearing this reasoning.

"You're too honest, Light! Come on, a Cura can heal this wound easily under ten seconds. Besides, as a Medic I hate seeing wounds untreated."

"But you'll get into trouble if Serah finds out, y'know. She'll tickle you to suffocation."

Vanille laughs. "Well, she won't know if we don't tell her, right?"

With that, the redhead casts her Cura spell, perfectly sealing the long slash on Lightning's ribs.

"This can just be our little secret!" she declares cheerfully, grinning at the soldier.

Lightning sighs. She can't deny that Cura has indeed made things far easier…

"…Thanks," she mutters softly, pulling her shirt down again to cover the healed wound.

"You're always welcome, Light!" Vanille happily replies. With that, she bounces towards the door, heading for the breakfast downstairs.

* * *

><p>An hour later, everyone has finished eating the sumptuous breakfast Serah and Hope have made. Fang is content. Really, li'l hostess is a great cook. To top it up, she still has two more days of relaxation and good food ahead. That old man Sazh deserves a pat on the back for suggesting this informal holiday yesterday.<p>

However, the huntress' contented thoughts are disrupted when Serah suddenly announces a massive emergency.

"We're run out of food, guys. We've only left with enough food for today."

Fang sits up straight immediately, scowling. All around her, the others are sitting up straight on their chairs around the table as well, equally concerned. Except Light, perhaps; her face is as neutral as always.

"I can hunt you something whenever you want, Serah," Fang offers. "As long as you're willing to cook 'em."

"Thanks for the offer, Fang, but this is Cocoon. We don't hunt for food here," comes the amused reply.

Fang rises her eyebrows. "So how _do _you get food around here?"

"Simply by going to the shop."

Fang groans. Shopping, huh? She hates that boring duty. Even back then in Oerba, she's always disliked going to the market to buy things like herbs and stuff. She'd rather hunt for them herself, but she couldn't possibly get everything on her own. Once in a while she had to visit the market, and even then she'd usually ask Vanille to do it for her while she went around the Archylte Steppe hunting.

…Wait. Doesn't Vanille like shopping?

Right then, her best friend's cheerful voice rings out enthusiastically.

"Oooh! If it's just about shopping, leave it to me, Serah! I can use the chance to look around Bodhum!" Vanille volunteers, waving her hand in the air.

_Good girl, Vanille. Keep it up and I'd be able to spend today slacking, _Fang thinks as she grins.

However, Serah looks a little doubtful.

"Uh, I actually have nothing against you going to the shop, Vanille… but do you know the way?"

"Oh… right. I don't," Vanille mutters, looking disappointed.

"Nah, doesn't matter. Someone can just accompany you," Serah decides, turning her face at the other people around the table. Who immediately pretend not to have heard anything and busy themselves up—Hope suddenly finds his gloves very interesting, Snow stares intently at his glass of water, and Sazh frets around his chocobo chick.

Serah's eyebrows rise with distaste.

But then her gaze falls on the one person who is just staring out of the window, genuinely not listening to whatever's been said.

The little pinknette smiles slyly. _Ignorance has consequences._

"Alright, decided! Light shall accompany you, Vanille!" Serah announces, slapping Lightning's back to reiterate the finality of her decision.

Lightning looks up immediately in shock, incredulous. "What—"

"Whoa, that's a marvelous idea! Light is a GC, so she knows every nook and cranny of this town!" Sazh hurriedly backs Serah up. Silently he feels relieved. He was scared that Vanille would ask him to go shopping with her; while he's already planned today to be his relaxed, card-playing day. Luckily Serah has chosen Soldier Girl as the victim. Lady Luck might be real, after all.

"Yeah, she's the best!" Hope adds, trying hard not to get picked to go shopping as well.

"Whoa, sure, I'd be glad to go with Light!" Vanille nods happily, unknowingly adding on to the gang.

"Wait, I haven't agreed on this—"

"Besides, Light's promised me before that she'd accompany me shopping, Serah!"

_I didn't—_

"Is that so? How… unusual," Serah comments, glancing at Lightning who looks stunned by this 'accusation.'

"Yeah! Back then in the Sunleth Waterscape!"

_What?! I didn't say 'promise,' I said 'maybe'! _Lightning protests in her mind, staring at Vanille in disbelief.

"Serah, wait a sec—"

"If that's the case, then it's decided! Light and Vanille shall go and get our food supply for the next two days," Serah proclaims.

Fang roars with laughter upon seeing Lightning's face.

* * *

><p><em>How do I always end up doing this?<em>

Try as she might, Lightning can never fathom how Serah can always get her to do things she dislikes. Dammit, Serah knows she hates shopping! She dislikes the jostling crowds, she dislikes the cramped places that restrict her movement… So how did Serah come up with the decision of asking _her _to go with Vanille—

_Aargh._

Lightning shakes her head in frustration.

And this redhead—how the hell does her mind work? How did it come to believe that she's promised to take her shopping in Cocoon? She only said 'maybe,' for sanity's sake…

…But no use complaining now. Not like she can escape the duty, no matter how much she dislikes going to the town of Bodhum that is always filled with annoying crowds.

But still… she'll certainly feel better if she can bring Blazefire Saber along.

Because Serah has forced Lightning to remove her GC shoulder pad and gunblade before she left. Reason being, weapons would attract attention from the citizens. Some might even recognize her, and the l'Cie gang sure as hell doesn't want to be identified now. Lightning has protested of course—going around weaponless is against her protocol. But Serah has argued back that she still has her Survival Knife, plus Odin, in her disposal. So she isn't entirely 'weaponless.'

Lightning gave up arguing after that. Casting a death glare at Fang—who's making such a show over throwing herself onto the cozy couch—the soldier grudgingly drags Vanille with her. They get out of the house and into Serah's flower garden beneath. That's when Vanile finds out that Lightning keeps a big, blue-and-black hoverbike there—and immediately approaches it with a happy squeal.

"Whoa, nice hoverbike, Light! I didn't know you have one!" Vanille says in admiration, running her hand on the bike's smooth surface. Its model is different from those of team NORA's—Lightning's resembles those racing velocycles at Eden more. But hers has two passenger seats, and is certainly more elegant than those PSICOM's machines.

"Well, now you know," comes the curt reply. Wanting to get this annoying task over with pronto, Lightning climbs onto the bike and gestures for Vanille to climb into the seat behind her.

The redhead tilts her head.

"What?"

"Uh, nothing!"

"I know you have something in your mind, so say it already."

Vanille smiles sheepishly. "Uh, I was just wondering… Can I try driving?"

Lightning's eyebrows rise. "Do you even know how to?"

"More or less! I saw Hope driving one back there at the Hanging Edge, and it didn't look too hard!"

Lightning sighs. "Well, mine is harder to control than the normal hoverbike, y'know. It's way faster."

Vanille giggles. "I always know you like speed, Light. Besides, jumping off cliffs and ledges with you has made me quite used to crazy speed!"

A grumble is all the redhead gets for reply.

"…Please? I want to try just once!" she pleads again, throwing Lightning her best puppy-dog eyes. Serah has told her they work extremely well against Lightning…

True enough, Lightning has no time to avoid the puppy-eyes attack. She groans, shaking her head. _Damn Serah for teaching Vanille this childish tactic—_

But 'this childish tactic' still works nonetheless. Lightning realizes that Vanille would keep pestering her and never climb onto the bike until her wish is fulfilled.

Then they'll never get this annoying task done.

"…Alright, fine! I'll let you drive… later. For now, watch me first!" Lightning growls, finally giving in.

"Yay! Thank you, Light! Let's go now!" Vanille squeals, clasping her hands together.

With that, the redhead happily climbs into her seat and watches attentively as Lightning starts the engine.

* * *

><p>Two hours later…<p>

"Light, Light! Come over!"

_Dammit, what now?_

Lightning sighs in defeat, striding back to where Vanille is standing. The redhead is looking at an automatic vending machine by the side of Bodhum's major shopping area with interest; her green eyes gleaming. Lightning isn't amused, though; she just wants to go back home ASAP, especially since the groceries she's carrying aren't exactly light.

The soldier watches as her red-haired companion pokes inquisitively at the machine's buttons. Luckily, no one is watching them—despite there are quite a number of people loitering the streets, none pays much attention to them. They're all preoccupied with their own businesses.

Which, in Vanille's case, involves happy squealing and inspecting every mundane detail on the street. Trees, pebbles, fountains, advertisement boards—none escapes her attention. And now it is this vending machine's turn to be graced by her overwhelming attention.

"If you're that interested in this damned—I mean, unique—vending machine, then try it out already," Lightning says exasperatedly. Vanille has been staring at the machine for almost five minutes now, amazed by the selection of drinks it has and its shiny buttons.

The redhead looks at her in pleasant surprise.

"Really, Light? I can do it? But I thought this thing needs gil to work!"

"Sure it does, so here's the gil! Sazh asked me to buy some soft drinks, after all," Lightning answers, handing a few coins over to Vanille. The redhead happily accepts them, before pushing them into the machine's slot carefully. She lets out a happy squeal when the machine hums into life and its screen displays the list of drinks.

Really… Lightning's never seen someone so happy with buying from a vending machine before. However, while her initial annoyance of being tasked with shopping fades, she realized that… she doesn't really mind. It's quite refreshing to see someone so interested in things she considers normal, after all.

Vanille bends down to retrieve the canned drinks, putting them into the paper bag she carries. Their first stop has been at the shop, and they've actually gotten every food item they need under an hour. But Vanille felt it wasteful to return home so soon. She asked—well, forced—Lightning to walk around for a while.

The soldier wasn't pleased—but for some reason that she can't really explain, she didn't straight away drag Vanille home. Normally, if other people are telling her nonsense about the sun smiling and the pebbles being cute, she would've dragged them away by the neck.

But not Vanille. Lightning doesn't know why—probably it's just the redhead's constant cheerfulness that totally pays her barely-disguised annoyance no heed. Whatever.

The point is, now Lightning is stuck following Vanille around, carrying the bigger bag filled with foodstuff. It's quite heavy; but when Vanille offered to help her carry some of the things, the soldier just scoffed and continued walking.

"Alright, you're done, right? Let's move on," Lightning cuts off her own musing, walking away as she sees Vanille standing up.

"Sure!"

Giggling happily, the redhead bounces ahead of Lightning with her arms swinging like usual.

"Hey, stay close!" Lightning warns, grabbing Vanille's shoulder to prevent her from running off.

_It's Sunleth Waterscape all over again, _the soldier sighs inwardly. _I'd rather try to tame a Behemoth than this overzealous rascal._

However, Lightning is once again cut short from her musing when Vanille suddenly hops around her enthusiastically.

"Light, Light!"

"What now?" Lightning asks exasperatedly, can't help but thinking how similar Vanille looks to a hyperactive puppy right now.

"Ice-cream!"

"What?"

Lightning looks to where the little redhead is pointing enthusiastically. Right ahead, she sees an automated ice cream vendor. Her scowl reappears.

"No," the soldier says firmly to Vanille, glaring. "You haven't eaten lunch yet."

"But I don't mind having ice-cream for lunch, Light!" says the protesting squeal.

"What? No way. You'll get hungry again soon."

"I won't! We ate the breakfast somewhat late, right? That's why I'm still full now! I wouldn't need a heavy lunch!"

Lightning groans silently. Unfortunately, that's a sound argument. She herself doesn't feel like eating lunch anymore—she's still quite full thanks to that late breakfast.

"…Pleaaase, Light? I haven't eaten any ice-cream in a long time!"

With that, Vanille unleashes her puppy eyes again.

Lightning takes a step back, trying not to look into Vanille's eyes.

_Like hell am I gonna fall for that again! I must not succumb—for once, I must not succumb!_

However, as hard as her efforts are, Lightning's mind is starting to go haywire. She's never been good in handling puppy-eyes—those gleaming, hopeful eyes always make her feel nervous. She would rather face a roaring Megistotherian with murderous eyes, dammit.

Meanwhile, Vanille is watching Lightning's expression with interest even as she unleashes her puppy-eyes attack. She resists the urge to laugh—the soldier's face is priceless. Her jaws are clenched, her eyebrows knitted in concentration—and a vein can even be seen pulsating in her forehead, so deep is her scowl.

And despite Lightning's extensive experience in battles and fighting strategies, Vanille is confident that she has more experience in _this_ field of fighting.

Vanille's first Paradigm in conquering an unwilling heart: Saboteur. Use puppy eyes to weaken the target. Check.

After the unwilling heart's nervous gauge is stabilized, move on to the next Paradigm to boost it further: Ravager. Unleash fake whimpers or sobs.

And so Vanille lets out her most convincing, saddest whimper; before looking away sadly like a kicked puppy, combining it with a heart-wrenching sob.

Lightning twitches.

Final Paradigm to get the unwilling heart Staggered: Commando. Make the target feel guilty and responsible for the (fake) whimper-slash-sobs.

Mustering her perfectly-miserable tone, Vanille whispers, "But if you say no, Light… then it's alright… You've been so kind to me after all, I don't deserve to ask more from you…"

With that, Vanille steals a peek at Lightning's face through the bangs covering her eyes—

—and stifles a giggle.

Because Lightning looks like she's suffering a mental breakdown.

Vanille grins inwardly. _I'm gonna win this fight in about… _

…_now._

"Alright, alright, fine! I'll get you the ice cream, so stop looking at me like that!"

_Yes! I conquered Lightning Farron! Five stars! _Vanille shouts victoriously in her mind.

"Yaaay, thank you, Light! You're always so kind!" she squeals, rushing in to hug Lightning without thinking about it. The soldier squirms in her arms, and Vanille immediately realizes her mistake.

"Oops, sorry!" Vanille smiles sheepishly. "But really, thanks a bunch, Light!"

"What…ever…" the soldier replies, groaning as she strides towards the vendor with Vanille bouncing happily beside her.

_I always knew Light's nice. She may act all cold and aloof, but deep inside she's actually really kind. Hehe, despite her reluctance, at the end she always ends up doing what's asked from her! As long as the asker doesn't get intimidated by her constant seriousness, of course._

For this last part, Vanille has no problem doing. She's always cheerful and optimistic after all.

* * *

><p>"Which flavor do you want? Don't pick the 'spicy' one, that one's for idiots," Lightning says as she gestures at the wide selection of ice-cream flavors.<p>

Vanille giggles, having no problem deciding at all.

"Strawberry!"

"Cup or cone?"

"Umm… cup!"

Without saying anything, Lightning presses down the buttons and out comes a cup of strawberry ice-cream. Vanille cheers, picking the ice-cream up.

"Eat while walking."

Lightning starts striding off again, heading to the secluded park at the edge of the town where she parked her hoverbike earlier. The sun is starting to set now, thanks to the stupid winter. Their surroundings are all basked in soft orange glow from the lowering sun, and the number of people has somewhat dwindled.

Contented with the presence of the ice-cream, Vanille immediately follows Lightning without protesting. She falls into step beside the soldier.

Then the redhead puts a spoonful of the ice-cream into her mouth and squeals happily.

"Wow, this is so nice, Light! Thank you!"

"Hmph."

"You want some?" Vanille asks cheerfully, offering the cup to Lightning.

"No, thanks," Lightning mutters as she turns her head to give a death glare to two teenage boys who've been staring at them from across the street. Needless to say, the boys make themselves scarce within seconds of seeing her glare.

"Light?"

"Hmm?" Lightning turns to face Vanille again—only to get something cold forced into her mouth. She almost choked on it, but realized that it is actually just ice-cream. She quickly swallows it before glaring at Vanille.

"Why the hell are you shoving things down my throat?"

Vanille giggles. "Well, you wouldn't accept it if I don't force-feed you right? I just want you to try the ice-cream, Light, it's nice! You're the one who bought it for me, after all. It'll be a pity if you yourself don't try it!"

Lightning sighs. "It's just a gift, Vanille, don't think about it too hard. Besides, I… don't really like strawberry."

"Hm? What flavor do you like, then, Light? "

"I don't actually have any preference, but if you insist… then, it's probably…vanilla."

"Really?" Vanille giggles, spooning the remaining ice-cream into her mouth. She kinda regrets eating it up so fast, but—

"HELP! That man snatched my purse!"

That sudden scream sends Lightning and Vanille turning around, right to see a masked man running full throttle down the empty road. By the pavement, an old woman is clutching her arm, screaming desperately for help.

Serah said 'don't attract unnecessary attention.'

But Lightning is a GC soldier.

Out of reflex, she immediately drops the paper bag she carries beside Vanille and dashes at full speed after the snatcher. Vanille is still dumbfounded for a second, and by then Lightning has left her side.

"Light!" Vanille calls out, horrified upon seeing Lightning dashing off like that.

Without much thinking, the redhead grabs the paper bags and runs after Lightning as well. By now the distance between them has become quite far, and Vanille knows she won't be able to catch up.

Unfortunately, the same thing also goes for Lightning and the snatcher. The man turns out to be able to run very fast, and the head-start he's had makes it difficult for Lightning to catch up with him. But knowing the soldier… Vanille is sure she's gonna push her limits to catch the petty thief. And she shouldn't do that! Her body still needs rest after the past few days' long fight…

Deciding that she has to do something to help Light catch the snatcher, Vanille looks around desperately. She really wishes her binding rod is here with her now—she can definitely catch that crook with ease using its long reach. But now, she's got nothing, and she can't possibly catch up…

"Projectile, projectile, anything heavy!" Vanille chants in panic, her eyes flicking around. She's glanced the snatcher running towards the right side of the road, undoubtedly planning to run into the small alley ahead. The moment he changes direction to enter that alley, that'll present a perfect time and position for Vanille to hurl something at his head—but what?

Then Vanille's gaze falls on the paper bags she's carrying. Inside, rests… a big-sized soda can, the one she bought for Sazh from that vending machine earlier.

"Glad you're here!" Vanille huffs, quickly grabbing the can. Right, it's heavy enough to at least make the snatcher tumble.

The man's almost reached the alley now—

Without wasting any more time, Vanille quickly takes aim of the snatcher, holding the heavy soda can high above her head. She's gonna hurl this thing as fast as she can—

The snatcher dashes to his right, towards the alley—

—and Vanille hurls the soda can with practiced precision, right towards the man's head. No one would expect this kind of attack, so the snatcher doesn't even notice the soda can shooting towards him.

_I'm so gonna hit your stupid head! _Vanille sings a fierce victory chant in her head, giving herself a mental pat in the back for hurling the can at such a precise timing and direction. It's gonna hit the man anytime now—

However.

Vanille underestimated Lightning's speed.

Because the moment she sees the snatcher running into the alley, Lightning unleashes a burst of speed and manages to catch up. Her hand is just a hair's breadth more from grabbing the man's neck—

—WHACK!

"Ugh!"

When Vanille's soda can hit her square on the right side of the face.

* * *

><p>"...Aaah!"<p>

Vanille watches in horror as her soda can whacks Lightning's head, full-force. It immediately makes the soldier tumble, forcing her to slam her left arm against the alley wall to stop herself from falling. Needless to say, the snatcher whom she was so close to catching immediately uses the chance to flee.

_Uh-oh. I'm so dead, _Vanille thinks dreadfully, wincing.

But despite her dread, Vanille's worry for Lightning still wins. She dashes towards the soldier, casting around to make sure that no curious onlookers have followed them into this secluded street.

"Lightning, Light, are you okay?! Did your eyes get hit? Is your vision blurry at all?" Vanille asks in panic as soon as she reaches Lightning. The soldier still looks somewhat dazed, and that's of little wonder considering the nasty bruise that's already forming on her cheekbone and temple.

However, suddenly Vanille hears footsteps approaching.

_Uh-oh. If the authorities see us here, they're gonna ask difficult questions…_

Vanille immediately grabs Lightning's hand then, dragging her away as quickly and quietly as possible. The footsteps do not get closer, but Vanille isn't taking any risk. She breaks into a sprint, towing Lightning with her into the secluded park where they parked the hoverbike.

* * *

><p>"Light, I'm really, really sorry!"<p>

Vanille apologizes hurriedly as soon as she pushes Lightning to sit on one of the park benches. By now the soldier has snapped out of her daze, and isn't exactly… pleased with the situation.

"Who the hell hurled soda cans around?!" Lightning bellows, her eyes gleaming dangerously.

She was so close, so close to catching that petty thief—when that stupid soda can came over to say hello. She didn't see the thrower, but she swears, if she ever gets to see that person… she's gonna return their favor, thirteen times harder. With her gunblade. Or maybe Zantetsuken altogether, because she's so pissed off, she could've hurled an entire vending machine—

—when she sees Vanille's expression.

Dread, apprehension, shame, shock—all these emotions are storming in her green eyes. Lightning frowns.

Then her gaze falls on the paper bags Vanille carries. One of them looks strangely empty… and the empty space looks like it can fit a large soda can perfectly.

That's when Lightning's mind makes the connection.

"Don't tell me… it was you who hurled that stupid can at me?"

"No!" Vanille gasps. "I mean, technically yes, but I didn't mean it to hit you, Light, really, I'm so sorry! I was aiming at the snatcher, but you were so fast that my aim missed; but I'm really, really really sorry! I'll heal you now—"

"Gah, just let it be! Don't use Cure here, there might be passersby around… if they see you using magic, they'll know we're l'Cie," Lightning replies quickly, batting Vanille's hand away from her cheek.

Well…

Normally, if anyone sends her such an unprovoked assault, Lightning would've retaliated fiercely. But for this case… well, she can tell Vanille didn't mean the assault, from her frightened expression alone. She just wanted to help.

Guh. Her intention was nice but the action was not.

"I'm sorry, Light—"

"Never mind," Lightning groans, cutting Vanille off. No matter what, she just can't bring herself to be mad at this little girl. Not when she's looking so frightened, as if she's gonna get killed anytime soon. But of course Lightning doesn't voice this out. She only resorts to sighing.

"Just… aim better next time, okay?"

Without knowing why, Vanille suddenly just bursts out laughing hysterically upon hearing this. She was really scared, scared that Light will be mad—but now she's just telling her to aim better next time? The ridiculousness of this situation has finally settled in.

"You losing your mind?" Lightning asks, frowning at the odd redhead who changes moods so suddenly from fear to hysterical happiness.

"No… no! I was just—" Vanille struggles to speak between her laughter—"thinking about how stupid I was! I mean, I was trying to help you, Light, but ended up whacking you instead—my aiming was really clumsy!"

And despite the throbbing of her head, despite her initial anger—Lightning can't help but letting out a hesitant smirk upon seeing Vanille's uncontrollable laughter going on and on.

"Well, considering how much that blow sting… I wouldn't call your throwing skills clumsy, though."

Vanille flushes, grinning sheepishly at Lightning. "Geez, I'm really sorry, Light. You have all the right to be mad at me."

"I told you, forget it. Besides, I don't have any more energy to be mad at you—you've never paid attention to it after all."

Still smiling sheepishly, Vanille sits down beside Lightning and watches the winter sun set. Whoa, she's so relieved Lightning hadn't killed her—she looked ready to bash someone up just now. But at least she's forgiven her, and even smirked.

Vanille starts to giggle again. Bet Lightning has never thought she'd get whacked in the face with a soda can before. But she's still as nice as ever—she forgave Vanille almost immediately, despite that blow must have hurt big time.

* * *

><p>When the sun has completely set and the park's lamps light up, Lightning stands up and gestures at Vanille to do the same. By now the soldier is no longer pissed off by that soda can incident—she has to admit, seeing Vanille's comical frightened face just now was worth getting her cheek bruised. Besides, it no longer hurts after all, despite still looking nasty.<p>

As for Vanille, the redhead has returned to her usual bubbly cheerfulness again. Even twice as cheerful now, after being forgiven so quickly by Lightning. She looks up at the soldier, standing tall before her—when an idea pops out in her mind.

"Pick me up, Light!" Vanille suddenly says, spreading her arms.

"What? No," Lightning says, frowning.

A pout. "What kind of reaction is that! I saw your picture, Light; you were smiling when Serah asked you to lift her up! Come on, I just want to see you smile!"

Lightning's eyebrows rise. "Serah showed you those pictures?"

"Un! So, will you smile now?"

Lightning shakes her head, turning away. "I'd rather just pick you up than smiling without reason like an idiot."

While this isn't exactly a positive answer, but being Vanille she sees it in a whole different light. Instead of rejection, what she sees is permission.

"Yay! Okay then, lift me up, Light!" the little girl squeals, jumping to her feet and with the energy of a chocobo, runs and jumps onto Lightning's back.

"Oof!" Lightning grunts, surprised by the sudden weight on her back that makes her stumble. But immediately she realizes it is just Vanille, and out of reflex puts her hands under the redhead's thighs to prevent her from falling down. But the little rascal immediately uses the opportunity to wrap her arms around Lightning's neck. Lightning turns her head around to glare at the giggling girl on her back.

"What the hell?"

"Piggyback!"

Lightning rolls her eyes, sighing exasperatedly. But she can't just throw the redhead off her, not while she is hugging her neck with a death grip.

"Whatever." With that, Lightning just carries Vanille towards the velocycle and dumps her on the backseat.

"Hey! You promised you'll let me drive!"

"That promise is annulled the moment you smacked me with that soda can."

"But you promised! And I remember Serah saying you never break your promises!"

Lightning huffs, realizing they'll never get home at this rate. With an annoyed growl, she lifts Vanille up again and drops her on the front seat.

However, the little girl suddenly grips her hand tightly. Lightning looks at her in confusion, but before she could do anything… Vanille pulls her down by the hand, and pecks her cheek.

Lightning's face flushes immediately, she gapes at Vanille who merely giggles as she lets go of the soldier's hand.

"What was that for…?"

Vanille smiles at Lightning, her green eyes glimmering brightly as they reflect the light from the park lamps. In this semi-dark surroundings, their brilliance is even more enhanced.

"For everything. For shopping with me, and… for retrieving my bangle."

Vanille watches smugly as Lightning's face flushes even more. The soldier has actually been hoping all morning, that Vanille would think Fang was the one retrieving the bangle for her.

"It wasn't me—"

"Ooops, no use lying, Light. I know it's you." Vanille giggles, knowing she has hit the bull's eye when Lightning sighs.

"I just want to thank you properly, y'know? I'm really, really glad it's not lost, Light… thanks to you. Thank you."

Lightning sighs, giving up on convincing Vanille otherwise when she's already been 'caught' like this. She simply mutters, "No big deal…"

Vanille grins at her, and she looks so happy that for a moment Lightning forgets her annoyance.

Then suddenly Vanille speaks again.

"I've been wondering, though—about the bangle, I mean…Why did you go through the trouble of retrieving it…?"

Lightning falls silent. The one question she subconsciously dreaded has been asked. Not that she doesn't know the answer—deep inside, she already has an answer. The reason she went through all that trouble last night was not because of her conscience—she can easily ignore it if she wants to—but rather for a much simpler, yet confusing, reason. Even she herself hasn't fully been able to completely understand the rationale behind that reason. She usually bases her reasoning on logic—but this one has no logic whatsoever in it. It even kinda frightens her, and she doesn't wish to discuss it with anyone.

But then Vanille's smile disappears, banishing all happiness from her face. This, of all other things, is the one fact that makes Lightning relent finally.

In a voice very low it was barely a whisper, the soldier answers hesitantly.

"I just… didn't want to see you cry. I thought… that if you get that bangle back, you'd smile again."

Vanille is stunned, not expecting that answer. But soon a smile spreads again on her face. Really, she's never thought Lightning's reason would be that sweet. She thought Light just had a random impulse to retrieve the bangle, driven by her righteous and protective nature. But it seems like Vanille has once again gotten the chance to see the gentler side of the soldier's heart.

"Well, then don't worry, Light! I'll always smile for you!" the redhead giggles, tapping Lightning's gloved hand. "But y'know, _you_ should smile too!"

The soldier groans, moving her hand away from Vanille. "Why should I…"

"Of course it's because you have a beautiful smile, Light," Vanille answers immediately, as if she's explaining to a school kid that one plus one is two. "Come on, I really seldom see you smile! Can you, like, smile for me now? Three seconds only?" the redhead asks, looking at Lightning expectantly.

"Urgh, I won't smile if there is no reason to!" Lightning protests.

Vanille giggles, deciding to stop teasing Light already. The soldier already looks extremely embarrassed after disclosing that reason of hers; her face is still a little flushed.

"You know, you can be so cute sometimes, Light," Vanille says, grinning as she sees that familiar frown forming on Lightning's face.

"But you can always do with more smiles!" she adds cheerfully, tilting her head to the side.

Lightning sighs, totally giving up on trying to have a normal conversation with this odd girl. Really, almost everything she says can make her feel confused and at lost. Before the redhead can say anything disturbing again, she climbs up to the backseat and reaches forward to start the engine. Needless to say, the redhead immediately panics and focuses her attention on the controls. A few seconds later, the hoverbike starts to rise to the darkening sky.

* * *

><p>A while later, Lightning and Vanille arrive home. Lightning's got to admit, Vanille's not bad in driving. Although a bit slow. But never mind that—what's important is that they've <em>finally <em>get home. She's had enough annoying incidents today to last for a lifetime, courtesy of a certain redhead. Huffing, the soldier leads the way into the house.

* * *

><p>"Whoa! What in the world happened to your face, Light?!" Fang asks in shock, sitting up straight when she sees Lightning's bruised face.<p>

The soldier shrugs. "Vanille whacked me."

"Vanille—_what_?"

"With a soda can. Just like a proper badass."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_Alrighty, that's it :P I can't promise the next chap will be up in one month, though… probably in two months' time. Cos it's only 13 more days to O Levels, and despite I've obtained seven A's and only one B in my Preliminary Exams, I still can't afford to get complacent :P _

…_Light will probably kill me if I get overconfident OTL . She hates naïve, overconfident idiots, right? :P_

_Ok, so, see you guys ASAP. Thanks a lot for the support~reading all your reviews really mean a lot to me :,)_


	42. Chapter 42

"Snow! Hell, stop sulking over Nautilus and grab Fafnir!"

Lightning's roar echoes from the walls of our living room, sending Snow scrambling to his feet to obey.

Similarly, the rest of us move faster the moment Lightning's impatience turns to anger. Not that we haven't been doing anything—we've been collecting provisions from all around the house as quickly as we can; but it's just that Lightning does it faster than us.

I quickly run upstairs to grab Morning Glory, before dashing back to the living room. By then, everyone has more or less been ready to leave.

The reason for all this haste? Well, this morning we've actually woken up to another beautiful winter day, with our spirits high thinking about the planned trip to Nautilus tonight. But unfortunately, things have taken a horrible turn from the moment Sazh turned the TV on.

First news of the day: "since Nautilus will be celebrating the opening of a new facility, a large number of people are heading there. Because of this, all PSICOM trains will temporarily be used to facilitate the increased amount of passengers heading for Nautilus, effective from tonight."

The moment that news emerged, we all sat straight on our chairs and stared at each other—unsure what it meant. Lightning was immediately angered, though, and soon after that we learned the reason.

To go to Pulse as we planned, we need to board a PSICOM train because they are the only ones allowed to enter the Hanging Edge. No other train services go there. So, if they're halting all PSICOM trains… we'd get stuck in Cocoon until the rush of passengers to Nautilus subsides. And like hell are we going to waste time waiting that long!

So, we have all come to a mutual agreement: we have to leave ASAP, and board the last PSICOM train heading for the Hanging Edge!

What followed that was basically a frantic, hurried scramble to collect our provisions and weapons.

So now here we are, gathering in front of Lightning in the living room that we're soon going to leave. We inspect our provisions, making sure everyone has enough Potions in their possession. Our weapons are already secured and ready.

"So, Light. What now? Run to the army's station and seize a train?" asks Fang.

"No seizing. Their computers can detect any unauthorized train departures, and they'll stop the train immediately," Lightning replies.

"So we'll have to be stowaways, then?" Hope guesses.

"Right. We'll go to their station, infiltrate it, and steal some PSICOM uniforms. We'll disguise ourselves and sneak into their trains."

Fang whistles. "We're getting better in performing criminal activities by each day, aren't we?"

Lightning chooses to ignore her. "Well, guys. Let's go now, don't waste any more time."

And without a last glance at the room, she strides towards the door. The others immediately follow her.

I stay back for a few seconds longer, though—looking for the last time at the room and its familiarity, the sense of safety it brings. Yet now we're leaving it all behind… will we be able to return here again someday?

Casting those unpleasant thoughts away, I quickly jog to follow Lightning. I'm not sure whether she feels reluctant to leave our home again, like I do. But I think she silently does... that's why she turns and walks out of the room so quickly, because she doesn't want to give herself any chance to linger in this place. We have to leave. We're l'Cie, and whether we like it or not, Cocoon isn't welcoming us. I have known all along that we'd soon be forced to leave our safe home. Only… I didn't expect it to be this early.

Clenching my jaws resolutely, I leave the house—and every sense of normality it offers us. I follow Lightning and the others out, into a world that loathes us.

But it doesn't matter. Even though I'm scared, I know I'll be fine… as long as Lightning is here with me.

* * *

><p>"We just can't catch a break, can we?" Sazh grumbles as he jogs beside Vanille. The redhead giggles, elbowing him playfully.<p>

"You know that from the very beginning, old man! No rest for the weary, as they say."

"Gah, I know. Snow looks _really _disappointed about Nautilus, though."

"Well… yes, that's unfortunate. I was hoping we'd have great fun there."

"But at least you've got the chance to whack Lightning head-on, yea!" Fang suddenly adds on, grinning at Vanille. The redhead pouts, still somewhat embarrassed by that incident. She has actually healed Lightning's face last night, but she still feels the guilt.

Sazh rises his eyebrows. "You make it sound as if it's an achievement, Fang."

"But it is!" Fang laughs.

"Guys, we're here! Focus, please!" Hope suddenly calls out, making Fang, Vanille and Sazh look up. He's right, they've left the beach areas behind and arrived at the town of Bodhum. There are already quite a number of people there, heading for their work.

Fang, Vanille and Sazh fall quiet immediately, following Lightning and Serah towards the Bodhum Station. As long as they stay quiet, they won't attract any attention and no one would notice them in the busy hours of the morning.

* * *

><p>Finally, we're here. The army's exclusive train station, built a little further away from Bodhum Station. Compared to the main station that's bustling with the people going to work, the army's station can be called deserted. No one is loitering around it, making it easy for us to slip into one of the nearby alleys and gather around to listen to Lightning's instructions.<p>

"…Remember, we're infiltrating, _not _breaking in," Lightning begins, glaring sternly at Fang and Snow. "We're not here to whack the daylights out of every PSICOM personnel in that station. We're just gonna whack out the ones blocking our way, and the ones whom we're going to steal our PSICOM uniform from. Other than them, no one else—or they'll find out and we'll never make it to the Hanging Edge. Clear?"

"Clear as day, Light," Fang grins, swinging her lance around. "Can't wait to get back in action."

"We'll eliminate the front guards first, then we infiltrate the station in pairs. Once inside, you'll see three corridors," Lightning continues. "The middle one leads to the railway, but don't there it because most PSICOM personnel will be waiting for the train right there. Go to the left or right wing instead—there'll be much less personnel there, and thus better chance for us to mug them. Get their uniform, wear it, and proceed to the middle corridor. We'll meet up in the railway."

"Sounds good. But how are we gonna recognize each other? Those PSICOM uniform involves masks and crap, right?" asks Fang further.

"Once you disguise yourselves, hold the guns in your left hands," Lightning answers. "Most PSICOM personnel are right-handed, so we'll be able to recognize each other from being the only ones carrying guns in left hands. Despite that, before you start talking to anyone that you _think _is one of us, say the code 'Fafnir' first—just to be safe."

Snow grins immediately. "Hey, I love codes! It makes us twice as cool!"

Lightning gives him the 'not amused' look. "Hurry up now, pick your partner. Fang and Vanille can't go together because they're not familiar with this place."

"I'll go with Sazh, then!" Vanille says immediately, waving cheerfully at Sazh. He sighs and nods back.

Fang huffs. "I'll pick Serah, then."

"Then I'll go with Hope! All right, kid? We'll kick those PSICOM together!" Snow hollers enthusiastically, grinning at Hope. The young boy doesn't look as enthusiastic though, but Snow totally doesn't notice. He keeps patting Hope's back cheerfully.

"Wait, Light, so you're going alone?" Hope asks, ignoring Snow as he turns to Lightning.

"Yes. I have no problem, I'm familiar with this place anyway," Lightning replies. "You guys just stick with your partner and stay together. We'll meet up again soon."

"Okay…"

* * *

><p>Hope suppresses a groan. Why, why and how, did he get paired up with this guy? He wanted to go with Light. But Snow had interrupted him before he could even speak up, pairing him enthusiastically. What, is he trying to 'protect and keep him safe'?<p>

Hmph. Hope is sure he'd be safer with Light than with anyone else.

But then again, no use grumbling now. He actually had the chance to protest earlier, but he was too hesitant to do it.

What happened was that after they've settled their pairings outside, Serah distracted the front guards' attention by pretending to ask for directions. While the two men were occupied, Lightning and Fang sneaked up behind them and gave them each a nasty punch at the back of the head. They fell like sacks immediately.

Snow and Sazh had dragged their bodies away then, hiding them behind a metal fence. There, Hope and Vanille casted their Stop spells to prevent the two guards from moving even if they come to. That'll subdue them for a few hours, long enough for the l'Cie to board the train.

So, with the front guards out of the way, Lightning has commanded Fang and Serah to sneak into the station. Ten minutes later, she dispatched Sazh and Vanille. Next was Hope's turn with Snow, and Lightning followed last.

But now… Hope is alone. And he's feeling belittled, plus extremely annoyed.

Because Snow has acted all hero again. He has told Hope to wait in a small secluded corner in the left wing, while he himself walks around with his stompy feet looking for PSICOM personnel. Hope protested, of course, but Snow treated him like a baby and told him to stay still lest he'd get himself into trouble.

"Leave the tough things to me," he's said with that overconfident grin of his.

Hope sighs. Maybe part of the reason of him agreeing to stay put here is because… he wanted to get away from Snow for a while. But now he's kinda regretting it… he feels useless, just staying put like this. Light won't be impressed if she sees him right now.

Gathering his resolve, Hope straightens up and makes up his mind. No matter what Snow said, he doesn't want to just stay put and be a burden. No, he'll show him that he can take care of his own problems. Stealing a PSICOM personnel's uniform—how hard can it be? He's a l'Cie; he can surely take one or two PSICOM guards alone.

With that, Hope peers out of the corridor into the bigger pathway stretching along the left wing. It's still as empty as when they arrived. Really, have all the PSICOM personnel gathered in the train platform? If that's so, he wouldn't be able to steal any uniform.

Feeling his panic growing, Hope walks out of his hiding place and heads for the end of the corridor.

"Hey, you!"

...!

Before Hope can turn, he felt the muzzle of a gun pressed against his back. His eyes widen in shock, as he realized that a PSICOM guard has just come out from a room next to the small corner where he's been hiding. Seriously, that Snow dragged him to hide right next to a room? Hope can feel his anger at Snow rising, especially since that guy's ridiculously large body has blocked his vision and he didn't notice the door to this room as he walked down the corridor earlier.

But all that doesn't matter; right now, he is in some seriously deep water!

"Who the hell are you, kid, and how did you get in here?!" the PSICOM personnel behind him demands, pressing his gun harder against Hope's back.

Hope starts to panic, especially because he cannot reach his boomerang in this condition. He can't use magic either, not with a gun pressed tight against him like this. If he attacks recklessly, the guard would shoot out of reflex. And Hope doesn't feel like having his back blown off.

"Answer me, boy! How the hell did a snot like you get in here?! Are your parents being interrogated here or what?!"

Hope keeps quiet, but he can feel his anger rising. This obnoxious PSICOM guard… if only he can get away from the gun's muzzle for just a second, he can unleash Blizzara to freeze this scum.

However, Hope's silence has risen the PSICOM guard's anger.

"Ouch!" Hope cries out as the guard grabs his collar, before slamming him face-first to the wall.

"If you don't answer, kid, I'll shoot your limbs off!"

Hope growls angrily, his hand lashing to grab his boomerang—

But the guard quickly catches his wrist in an iron grip, twisting it against his back until Hope cries out in pain.

_Uh-oh, this is bad—_

The PSICOM guard growls angrily. "You know what, brat, I can kill you with one hand! I don't even need my gun or—"

WHACK!

"Urgh!"

Hope turns around, startled, when he feels the pressure on his back disappearing—right to see the guard that has been threatening him getting slammed to the wall. Next to him, stood a PSICOM Ranger, whose fist is clenched tightly. He's the one who has knocked the guard out cold.

Hope gapes, confused. Why is this Ranger helping him…?

"…What are you doing, Hope?"

But then he breathes out in relief the moment that unmistakable voice rings out.

"Light?"

"Yeah. Fafnir," the 'Ranger' replies, pushing up her visor to show Hope a glimpse of her blue eyes.

"So, what are you doing here alone? I thought Snow's with you?" Lightning asks again, her voice reaching a dangerous edge that immediately makes Hope feel nervous.

"Uh, yes he was, but he ran off… he told me to wait here while he gets all the uniform we need."

"…That idiot," Lightning growls through her clenched teeth. "I told him to stay together in pairs for a reason, dammit."

Hope looks down anxiously, expecting his mentor's anger.

But Lightning just shakes her head angrily. "Tch, this is exactly why I never like teaming up with overconfident idiots… Come, Hope, let's just go. Grab that guard's uniform—it should fit you well enough. Be quick."

Hope doesn't need further prompting. He approaches the fallen guard and takes off his armor and mask; wearing them over his own clothes. They are a tad too big for him, but not much of a problem.

After he's grabbed the guard's gun, Hope runs back to where Lightning is waiting. He sees her holding her weapon in the left hand, so he quickly adjusts his own. He almost forgot about that.

"So, where are the others?" Hope asks as he jogs beside Lightning towards the middle corridor.

"I don't know. You're the only one I met so far. They should already be in the railway area, considering they went in first and—"

"FAFNIR!"

That sudden shout stops them dead on their track. Lightning spins around immediately, right to see another PSICOM guard running towards them—with his gun held in his left hand. Even with his face covered by the mask, Lightning knows that the idiot is grinning. She growls angrily.

"You are not supposed to shout the code around, Snow! If I'm not who you think I am, I would've gotten suspicious, you idiot!" Lightning hisses angrily.

Snow, in his PSICOM uniform, stops immediately and scratches his head sheepishly.

"Oops, sorry, Light. I didn't think that far… I just wanted to shout out the cool code, y'know!"

"Why the hell did you leave Hope behind?" Lightning demands, gesturing at the boy without paying any attention to Snow's stupid reasoning.

"Eh?" Snow tilts his head, realizing Hope's presence. "Oh, hi, Hope! I didn't realize this short PSICOM guard is you!"

Hope hisses, but otherwise refuses to answer. He's too annoyed to say anything.

"Snow," Lightning snaps, drawing his attention back to her. "I thought I told you to stay together with your assigned partner."

Snow looks nervous. "Uh, eh, yeah actually. But y'know, I just thought I could take this task on myself. I didn't want to put Hope in danger."

"Are you serious? By leaving him alone, you're putting him in a bigger danger!"

Snow squirms nervously before Lightning's anger. Suddenly he's facing a high probability of getting his head whacked.

Fortunately for him, Hope steps in right there.

"Uh, Light… shouldn't we get going? We all have gotten our uniform, we should just proceed…"

Lightning growls in annoyance. Without another word, she walks past Snow and jogs away. Hope follows her immediately, grateful for the cover provided by his PSICOM mask—because right now, he cannot stop grinning after seeing Snow cowering before Lightning's anger like that.

* * *

><p>"When will the stupid train arrive?" Fang whispers through her PSICOM mask.<p>

"I don't know, so be quiet," comes the hushed growl from Lightning.

Fang grumbles, looking around with impatience. I just shrug at her when her gaze meets mine. We have all actually reunited in the railway area, but then we have to stay in line to wait for the train to arrive.

Lightning's prediction has been accurate—she's told us to stand close together, and because of that we managed to be assigned as a team by one of the PSICOM sergeants. That means we can occupy one compartment in the train later, and we'll be able to sit together and plan our next strategy for when we arrive in the Hanging Edge.

Another bonus point is that Fang and I have managed to mug our uniforms from two PSICOM guards who were assigned to carry a large box of ammo. That box is exactly where we're hiding Fang's lance in now, along with Morning Glory. We're really lucky, because our weapons are the most unusual and conspicuous—unlike the others', which can be easily hidden.

However, to our dismay, another PSICOM guard has been assigned to join our group. The young rookie is following us now, oblivious to our real identity. He is chit-chatting cheerfully with Snow, much to our concern. We're worried that Snow would say something thoughtless that jeopardizes our entire plan…

But it'd be more suspicious if Snow refuses to talk, as all the other soldiers are also talking in their groups as they wait for the train. So Lightning decides to let Snow talk to the rookie, while Sazh stands next to him to make sure he doesn't say anything stupid. Meanwhile, the rest of us stare straight ahead tensely, annoyed by the troublesome man.

But the guy certainly doesn't know what's good for him.

"Why are you so quiet, man! Dislike waiting, huh?" he suddenly asks arrogantly, resting his elbow casually on Lightning's shoulder. The others and I tense immediately, watching the scene before us in horror. No one, no one has dared to invade Lightning's personal bubble like that before… but then again, the rookie cannot see her murderous glare right now thanks to the PSICOM mask covering her face.

We watch anxiously as Lightning seems to be stifling the urge to smack the soldier's arm off her shoulder. Luckily she's aware enough of our situation, so she just mutters "None of your business," in a low voice.

But the rookie is too cocky for his own good.

"Hey, mate, chill! I'm being friendly with you, y'know!"

_Dammit, shut up already! Can't you feel the murderous vibe directed at you?! _Fang thinks in frustration as the rookie keeps disturbing Lightning. Makers, why the hell did he choose to pick on Lightning among all the other people? He must have a death wish!

"But I've gotta admit, the train does take its own sweet time! Man, lately our schedule is really getting messed up… must be because of those stupid l'Cie breakout, don't you think so?"

"What l'Cie breakout?" Sazh asks cautiously. _Isn't that info supposed to be classified?_

The rookie looks at him in disbelief.

"Whoa, you guys didn't know? I mean, that info is sure classified so as not to cause panic, but… one of our sergeants recently got a leak, right? The rumor's been swirling around for a few days! Ha, but I guess only important personnel like me could hear about it," he answers arrogantly—not noticing the change in atmosphere within our group. Even Lightning seems to tense up upon hearing that rumors of our breakout have been spreading.

Looks like it's a good thing that we've left so soon, after all.

"So, guys, whaddaya think of the l'Cie, eh? I personally think they suck to the core!" the rookie suddenly begins again.

Behind masks, a couple of eyebrows are being raised.

"What do you know about the l'Cie?" Lightning asks with a venomous tone. However, the dumb rookie misinterprets it as jealousy.

"Haha, don't be jealous, man! It's not your fault that the higher-ups don't discuss important stuff near the low-ranks… but don't worry, yea? You're lucky I'm here and in good enough a mood to share some info with you!"

"Hn. So?"

"Whoa, not so fast! Shouldn't you be thanking me first, grumpy?"

_This guy really has a death wish, _Vanille thinks dreadfully as she watches the arrogant guy pestering Lightning. Beside her, I squirm anxiously as well. I'm sure my sister is already very close to punching the guy's mouth by now.

But thankfully, that doesn't happen.

"…Thank you," Lightning forces out a growl after a few seconds of pause—enabling me to let out the breath I've been holding.

"Haha, good enough!" The rookie laughs, patting Lightning's back.

"Well, I know that the l'Cie have escaped from Zalera a few days ago," he begins. "Can you believe that? Zalera! Those creeps must be quite good after all. Hmm, but really… I heard they are hiding now, trying to find an opportunity to kill our Primarch. They've tried to do it before, that's why His Eminence is now recuperating from his injuries. Seriously, I heard those l'Cie accuse him of being a fal'Cie! Man, what crazy people… I'm sure they have something wrong in their heads."

By now, it's not only Lightning who's pissed. Practically our whole group is staring at the rookie murderously from behind our masks.

"I wonder how those l'Cie look like, though. Maybe they look like idiots! Ha, or maybe like psychopaths!"

_If this guy doesn't stop making stupid comments soon, I think even my large repertoire of patience is going to run out, _Sazh thinks as he narrows his eyes.

"Bet those l'Cie are just extremely lucky all this time. They won't last long; the moment His Eminence recuperates and gives his orders, we PSICOM will eradicate them! We can hang their skins in front of our HQ, yea!"

_This big-mouthed guy… doesn't he notice how disgusting he sounds right now, with all his acting-macho attitude? _Hope muses in disgust. _Even I can take him on by myself, not to mention Light or Fang._

Silence prevails as the group basically tries their best to ignore whatever the rookie is saying.

"Hmm, but I heard some of those l'Cie are from Pulse. Can you imagine that? From hell! Ha, bet they don't even know what technology is. Bet they run around wearing only animal skin or leaves."

Vanille squeals in surprise, "We don't—"

But luckily, right then the train arrives. Its howling sound immediately drowns out any other noise, and thus it successfully stops Vanille's protest from being heard.

However, as the rookie's attention is focused on the train, Fang steps closer to Lightning and whispers angrily.

"Let me kill him, Light. Please, right now I would explode if I don't bash his idiot head—"

"No," Lightning hisses back immediately. Fang is about to argue, but that's when Lightning continues: "…Not yet."

Upon hearing this last part, Fang's grin spreads behind her mask. 'Not yet,' huh? Good enough of an answer!

* * *

><p>Soon afterwards, the train stops. The sergeants start barking orders, and we hop obediently onto our designated compartment; carrying along the 'ammo' box. As we settle down, two sergeants walk along the train to check on us.<p>

"Sit down, buckle up and wait for further instructions," one of them barks.

We obeyed, even though Vanille is currently quite interested in looking at the train's interior. But it's nothing much—it's very similar to the Purge train she's boarded before. Difference being, this time she isn't handcuffed. With her curiosity sated, the redhead sits down between me and Hope. The rookie, to Hope's dismay, sits next to him. Lightning, Fang, Sazh and Snow sit on the other side of the compartment.

After we have all settled down, the two sergeants leave—slamming the compartment door closed behind them. We are thus left alone, with our new rookie 'friend.'

"Attention all personnel, we're pulling out now! Buckle up!" the speaker behind the seats suddenly booms, amplifying the master sergeant's order to the entire train. We glance at each other, but otherwise remain quiet.

Soon afterwards, the train begins to move slowly—towards the Hanging Edge! We can safely say that our plan has worked out well. All we have to do now is to wait until we arrive.

However…

…There's still one small yet annoying problem sitting with us in this compartment.

"Light…" Fang whispers through her clenched teeth.

"Not yet," comes the annoyed reply.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, the train has left Bodhum behind. It is now speeding through a ravine, and the echoes of the train's sound drowns any other noise. This is exactly what Lightning has been waiting for.<p>

She nods at Fang.

That simple command is enough for the huntress. With a deadly grin, she stands up and throws her mask aside. The rookie immediately looks at her.

"Hey, you're a woman? Whoa, I never know these uniforms are for women, too—"

Right then, Snow and Sazh stand up as well, throwing their masks off. Hope, Vanille and I duly follow their example.

The rookie stares in confusion at his 'squad-mates' who are grinning murderously at him. What's this all of a sudden?

But then Lightning takes off her mask as well, and the rookie pales like a corpse the moment he sees her.

"Wait, you—impossible—you're that l'Cie broadcasted in Eden! You're the one who—that means, all of you are—"

"L'Cie, yes. Bit too late to realize it now, isn't it?" Lightning says coldly. Beside her, Fang is cracking her knuckles menacingly. "Anyway, I thought you said you wanted to hang our skins on your HQ's door."

"I…wait…" the rookie stutters, his hand fumbling for his gun. However, it is no longer beside him—Hope has snatched it away from his grasping fingers with a smug grin.

"By the way, we Gran Pulsians _do not _run around half-naked in leaves, bimbo," Fang suddenly says venomously as she rips off her PSICOM uniform to reveal her blue sari underneath. "We're in fact civilized enough to have intricate clothing."

"Yeah! And we've got style!" Vanille adds on, pouting angrily at the rookie. She grabs her binding rod, spinning it swiftly in her hands—and wow, its razor-sharp hooks make quite an impressive show as they twirl around each other without getting entangled.

Not stopping there, Fang kicks open the 'ammo' box. From within it, she pulls out her lance in one quick motion. The rookie gapes immediately at the sight of another terrifying weapon.

"Congratulations," Fang says through her smug grin. "You have insulted Vanille and me bad enough to deserve getting my lance stuffed into your throat!"

With that, Fang jabs her lance powerfully into the train's floor to prove her point. The lance pierces through the metal deeply, creating a sharp screeching sound. The rookie looks like he's about to faint by now.

"Stop playing with your prey, Fang, Vanille," Lightning warns lazily as she eyes the rookie.

But then Sazh adds in. "Y'know what, I don't blame them, Light. I was also quite… offended, when he said we only depended on luck," he says, as his chocobo chick chirps its agreement from within his afro.

"Same here," Snow says, grinning as he slams his huge fists together.

"Yeah, and _most _of us sure as hell don't look like idiots," Hope nods, stepping forward as well.

Lightning smirks coldly. "Well, looks like we're all in for this one. Alright, do whatever you guys want."

"Stay away!" the rookie shouts as he tries to run. But right then, I unleash a Stop spell to seal the compartment's door. I'm not planning to join the others in what they're going to do—but nevertheless, I've also been quite annoyed by his previous remarks that I decide to give him some scare as well.

Helpless, the rookie looks around in panic—and sees nothing but the six l'Cie walking slowly towards him like a pack of hungry Uridimmu.

"This'll be _fun," _Fang smirks.

* * *

><p>What follows is basically a series of bashing, kicking, slapping and further harassment that is too miserable to be described fully.<p>

To make long story short, at the end the l'Cie can lounge smugly in their seats, no longer needing to wear the uncomfortable PSICOM uniform over their usual clothing. The rookie, whose face can no longer be recognized now, has been stuffed on the luggage rack hanging above the seats—courtesy of Fang, who refuses to get her eyes contaminated by obnoxious scenery.

Bonus point: we manage to get the two portal manadrives we need from the rookie.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Lightning has arranged our next plan. It is quite simple: we just have to wait until the train gets into the Hanging Edge, heading for the PSICOM post at its center. However, to get to the post the train must first pass through the massive crack on Cocoon's shell. Right then, we would jump out of the train, fall through the crack and straight into Pulse. That's when Fang would summon Bahamut to catch us all. Quite similar to what we've done the first time we got to Pulse, actually.<p>

But really, to be honest I'm not very enthusiastic regarding the part where we have to jump out of Cocoon. Neither do Vanille and Hope, judging from the look on their faces when Lightning calmly said her last line.

"On lighter notes… Make sure you time your jump properly, guys, because this train will still be moving at full speed when we leap later. If you misjudge the timing, you may not be able to fall through the crack—you will just fall into the inner wall of Cocoon's shell and it'll be the same as hitting the base of a cliff."

Very comforting, Light. Now I really wonder how your unit feels during your pre-mission briefings.

"Whoots, it adds on to the thrill then! Can't wait to start flying," Fang laughs, seemingly undeterred by Lightning's blunt explanation at all. Knowing there is nothing I can do to change this crazy plan, I just huff and exchange resigned glances with Vanille and Hope.

"For now, we just have to lay low for the next fifteen minutes. Don't be too noisy or someone might come here to check," Lightning warns. "Our aim is to jump out of this train quietly and unnoticeably."

"Whoa, actually I wanted a grand escapade!" Snow comments in disappointment.

Lightning ignores him, and Sazh just shakes his head tiredly. Vanille shrugs at him as Snow walks over to the window to look at the ravines passing by.

"We're approaching the Hanging Edge already, right, Lightning? I remember these ravines…"

"I'm kinda surprised you do."

"Hey! Of course I do!" Snow protests.

"I don't care. Anyway, you can pass Fafnir to me now," Lightning says coldly. Snow sighs, taking the magnificent sword from within his coat and hands it over to Lightning.

Then he walks back to his seat across the aisle—

When the door from the adjacent compartment suddenly opens and a PSICOM guard walks in.

"Hey, does your compartment has toilet or—"

BAM!

We all turn around, shocked, when Snow punches the PSICOM guard out of reflex. But he really overdid it—the man is thrown aback, crashes right through the compartment door, and continues tumbling along the entire length of the next compartment.

And the other PSICOM guards in the next compartment are slowly turning their heads to look at us.

"SNOW!" We shout at him at the same time, but it's too late.

"Intruders! Alert, intruders!" barks the PSICOM guards in the next compartment. They stand up immediately, weapons drawn, and run towards us.

Lightning groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Looks like we can never leave in quiet," she sighs exasperatedly.

"…Snow, we'll talk about this 'reflex punch' of yours later," she adds dangerously, narrowing her eyes at Snow—who gulps.

"So we can let loose now?" Fang asks, grinning despite the fast-approaching guards. She looks totally confident with her lance already gripped tightly by her side. Behind her, the rest of us are preparing our weapons as well.

"There's nothing else to do, so yes. More soldiers would come, I'm sure of it—they've set off the alarm. So let's just take over this entire train if needed. Don't forget to steal portable screens if you see them, too," Lightning decides, drawing Fafnir out.

"Now that's a plan I like!" Fang laughs, dashing to welcome the guards with the sweet greeting of her lance.

"Don't get overboard! We don't want this entire train to be wrecked," Lightning warns. She turns at me, Vanille and Hope then. "The three of you, minimize the magic. Don't go all Firaga out there and blow up this train."

We nod; and Lightning dashes after Fang, unleashing Blitz into the pack of guards that her battle partner is whacking. The door to the next compartment suddenly opens and more guards come in, but by then Snow and Sazh have reached them as well. Shouts fill the air as punches and gunshots make contact.

"Well, guys. Looks like our normal, peaceful train ride has ended," I comment sarcastically.

Hope and Vanille chuckle, and with that, the three of us join in the fray as well.

* * *

><p>"Stop fighting! We're nearing the crack!"<p>

That shout of Lightning's snaps my attention back to her. By now we have taken care of most PSICOM personnel in the train, as we advance from one compartment to the next. Maybe we overdid it, though—the train is shaking dangerously and making loud creaking noises, result of us fighting so aggressively. I have to admit, I accidentally unleashed a Waterga at two guards who almost attacked me from behind.

The others are scattered all along this compartment—Fang and Lightning are at the far end, Snow and Sazh at the middle, and Vanille, Hope and I are at the back. All around us, are fallen PSICOM guards. Some other guards are fleeing, and Snow and Sazh were about to chase after them when Lightning shouts.

Without paying any more attention to the fleeing guards, we all dash towards Lightning and Fang. They have wrecked a large hole through the train's wall, and we can see the scenery changing from the brown ravines to the greenish material that constitutes the inner wall of Cocoon's shell. As the train continues moving, the ravines completely disappear and we are suddenly enveloped in the dim, eerie-greenish surrounding of the Hanging Edge.

We have arrived.

* * *

><p><em>This was where everything started.<em>

Vanille tilts her head as she watches the metallic walkways built throughout the Hanging Edge swish by when the train passes them. She remembers standing on one of those walkways before, looking at the Pulse Vestige—during the Purge.

This is where she met her friends. Hope, Snow, Lightning, Sazh, Serah… they all met here, and since then so many things have happened. Things that she sometimes still has nightmares about.

But then again… she's really glad to have met her friends, regardless of everything they have to go through.

"Here comes! Prepare to jump!" Lightning suddenly warns, snapping Vanille out of her muse.

Without further ado, Vanille follows the others as they huddle next to the hole, preparing to leap. She crouches beside Lightning, who has strapped Fafnir securely to her back. The wind from the train's speed is hitting them relentlessly now, causing Vanille's eyes to sting. Beside her, Lightning's spiky bangs whip wildly in the gusts of wind.

"Wait, Light, have we gotten the portable screens we need?" Sazh shouts above the howl of the wind.

"That's settled! Fang's got them!" Lightning shouts back.

Right then, the train passes through the massive crack. To Vanille, it looks as if the greenish inner wall of Cocoon's shell suddenly gives way to the brilliant blue color of Gran Pulse's sky. On the rough edges of the crack, she can see debris of crystal dust falling perpetually onto Gran Pulse like waterfalls.

"Now!"

Upon that command from Lightning, the others immediately jump down after her. Vanille feels an uncomfortable tugging feeling in her gut as her feet leave the forward-moving train and gravity takes hold of her instead. For a second, she feels like being pulled both ways by the two forces—but then, of course, gravity wins and she falls at high speed through the crack.

* * *

><p><em>This is crazy this is crazy this is crazy—<em>

Vanille knows she's screaming—Makers, who won't! They are practically falling through the clouds now, free diving through the sky towards the ground hundreds of feet below. This crazy speed, this stinging wind, the sight of the clouds rushing up to crash into her—why must Lightning's plan involve jumping from nonsensical distance?!

Then suddenly the clouds that envelop her give way, and finally Vanille can see the ground of Gran Pulse—covered in lush vegetation, with the gigantic Adamanchelids dotting the Steppe beyond. Yet despite she was at first happy to see this view, but soon Vanille's happiness turns to dread as the ground rushes up to meet her.

_I'm gonna die I'm gonna die I'm gonna break all my bones—_

"Whoooots! Nice view from up here!"

That familiar holler rings through the air, and Vanille sighs in relief as she sees Fang swooping down on Bahamut's back. She has caught Hope with her, as well as Snow.

Bahamut flaps his wings, slanting to the left. Fang and Snow reaches out, grabbing Serah and Sazh as they fall. Lightning doesn't need any help; she has grabbed Bahamut's tail and swung herself onto his back.

Then the dark dragon spreads his wing, slowing down below Vanille. The redhead falls straight towards his armor-like back, closing her eyes for impact—

—and falls into Lightning's arms, who managed to catch her just before she hits Bahamut's back head-on.

"Phew!" Vanille breathes out in relief. She's grateful for Lightning's aid—it would've been quite painful if she smacked-dab onto Bahamut's back. The little redhead grins and thanks Lightning as the soldier settles her down a safe distance away from Bahamut's flapping wings.

"Nice catch, Fang!" Snow hollers, grinning at Fang who is crouching on Bahamut's neck to steer him towards the ground. The huntress barks out laughing, her raven hair whipping wildly in the wind.

"You know what, after doing this twice I'm getting confident in my mid-air catching skills!"

Snow laughs, and with that, the group flies straight towards the Archylte Steppe.

* * *

><p>Bahamut lands at the Central Expanse.<p>

We hop off from his back and Fang dismisses him.

Then we look around at the familiar wilderness of Pulse.

It's ironic, really. We used to believe Pulse is hell. We were _terrified_ of it. But now… Pulse actually offers more safety to us than Cocoon. We are not chased by a whole platoon of PSICOM soldiers here, at least.

I look up at the sky, where Cocoon floats peacefully amidst the clouds. It's an odd feeling: less than five minutes ago, we were inside that lofty shell. Yet now here we are, looking at it from the outside.

I glance sidelong at the others. They are also looking at Cocoon, seeming equally bewildered. We haven't thought much about this whole idea of returning to Pulse so soon, because the situation prevented us from thinking and forced us to take actions immediately. But now that we have made it to Pulse… the realization of what we are about to do finally weighs in.

"Well, guys… here we are again," Sazh sighs, scratching his head. "Feels odd, to look at Cocoon from this distance after being imprisoned there for so long."

"So much has happened since the last time we were here…" Hope comments, as he gazes up at the sky.

We fall silent then, admitting the truth of his words. We can't help but contemplating all the battles we've gone through since the last time we set foot on the Central Expanse. So much has happened, indeed. So many things have changed, so many things we've gone through together.

And now we're here again, at the last checkpoint before our final battle with Barthandelus. The battle that will decide our future… and our fate.

The others seem to have come to this conclusion too, because every one of us stops gazing at Cocoon. We look at each other now, with our weapons suddenly gripped tighter.

"Well, guys," Lightning says slowly. "This is it. We're gonna part ways here."

Fang grins. "But we'll meet again."

"Sure as hell we will!" Snow hollers, punching his fists together.

"We will," Lightning agrees. "Here, I want each team to have their own portal manadrive and screen," she says, holding out the said items—keeping a pair for herself and me.

Fang grabs them right away, followed by Sazh. The huntress inspects the items curiously.

"So, Light. We just have to train as hard as we can, while checking on Barthandelus regularly with these portable screens, right?"

"Right. The moment the Primarch emerges from his recuperation chamber in the Orphan's Cradle, I'm sure the Sanctum will broadcast it. It'll be big news, so we won't miss it if we check the screens regularly."

"Then we'll open some portals to get to Cocoon and obliterate that decrepit fal'Cie for good, yea?"

Lightning simply nods. Then her gaze hardens as she scans everyone in the group.

"The battle ahead won't be easy," she says sternly. "If we want to have any chance of winning at all, we'd better train hard and hone our skills. I will tolerate no slacking. We don't know when Barthandelus is going to emerge; we have no time to waste. So although we would split into our respective teams, I still expect everyone to train as hard as you can."

Fang smiles stiffly. "No worries there, Light. We all want to win this battle. We're here for our second shot, and I'm sure none of us wants to re-experience whatever we've gone through after Barthandelus managed to escape us in that last battle. Nope, this time we're gonna give _more _than our best shots. This time, we're ending this battle once and for all. That fal'Cie won't escape anymore!"

"Well said, Fang. That's exactly what I'm thinking," Sazh grins.

"Yeah!" Snow grins fiercely, and the rest of us voice our agreement as well. Fang's right: in this battle, we'll decide our fate—once and for all.

"That's what I want to hear," Lightning says, a faint smirk tugging on her lips.

"Alright, then!" Fang hoots, drawing her lance in one fluid motion.

"For the future," the huntress says, grinning fiercely as she stretches her lance out. Its sharp blades hover before us, glinting menacingly.

Lightning smirks. She draws her gunblade, turning it into blade mode. Then she holds it out as well, tapping the blade of Fang's lance firmly.

Vanille laughs, following Lightning's example. She takes out her binding rod swiftly and presses it against Lightning's gunblade.

With a grin, every one of us does the same thing. We draw out our respective weapons, pressing them against one another. Even Snow has reached out and placed his clenched fist above Sazh's gun. The various weapons glitter menacingly now, looking invincible in their united diversity. Lance, gunblade, binding rod, boomerang, bow, gun, fists… each one of them bears the wielder's reasons to fight and dreams for the future. We may be very different from one another, like our weapons; but we are still united by the same purpose and hope. And together, we shall be invincible.

We are taking Barthandelus down.

"Let's do this!" Fang shouts.

With that, we thrust our weapons downwards simultaneously, breaking the link with a loud _clang. _Then we turn to our respective pairs, before dashing out in different directions. Lightning and I head for the Faultwarrens, Fang and Vanille for the Yaschas Massif, and Hope, Sazh and Snow for Mah'habara.

"See you guys in the battlefield!" Fang hollers. "By then I'd be much more powerful, beyond your reckoning, Lightning!" the huntress adds, grinning confidently.

I laugh heartily even as I sprint beside Lightning.

Right. This might be the last time we see each other for a while, but… when we meet again, each of us will be stronger than ever. And we're going to take Barthandelus down.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Alright, this is it. Tomorrow I'll be sitting for my National Exams (the O Levels), and they will continue all the way till 16th November. So this will be my last chapter in a while. Just take it as... Lightning and the others are training their limbs off while I'm taking my exams :P when they are over, I'll update ASAP—and I promise it'll be the final battle against Barthandelus, a long battle that lasts more than two chapters. So, till then... see you guys. As always, thanks for the reviews :) I really appreciate them.


	43. Chapter 43

Ever since Primarch Galenth Dysley returned from his battle against the l'Cie badly wounded, he has entered Orphan's Cradle to recuperate. To the rest of Cocoon's citizens, his real identity as the fal'Cie Barthandelus remains unknown. They still revere him as their Primarch, and use every resource to keep him safe while he recuperates.

Outside of Edenhall, a whole troop of elite PSICOM soldiers stand guard. They have been ordered to guard the entrance well and to shoot any trespassers. They are there to protect their respected Primarch, who was wounded in his noble effort to protect Cocoon citizens from the l'Cie.

In addition, all around Edenhall other security measures have also been implemented. Huge war machines patrol the place night and day, equipped with the deadliest weapons developed by PSICOM's teams of weapon scientists.

To put it simply, Edenhall has become the safest place in Cocoon, rivaling even Zalera. And this is all needed for the revered Primarch's safety. The whole of Cocoon are worried about him—and they curse the l'Cie who have hurt their dear Primarch so.

* * *

><p>Darkness.<p>

That's all he can see, all he can feel. That's all there is to his current existence.

Time is meaningless in the darkness.

He doesn't know for sure how long he's been stuck in here, immobile, with darkness and pain as his only companions.

In the beginning, he was in too much agony to notice even the darkness. He drifted between the realm of the mortals and the Unseen Realm, but never once crossing the delicate boundary between them. He was just something lesser than a shadow, a drifting consciousness shrouded in pain.

But after what felt like eons, his injuries began to heal, his maimed body began to regenerate. Slowly and painfully… Even the deep wound on his head and the huge slash that destroyed his left eye have begun to heal.

And despite he could see nothing but darkness, he can at least think again. No longer is the pain so intense that it prevents him from thinking. He can think, yes—he can remember everything. Everything that has happened, everything that has led him to suffer in this pit of darkness for so long.

It all flashes in his memory, haunting him through the darkness. The burning blade that cuts deep into his flesh, the ice-cold rain that stings his wounds—and the undeniable feeling of fear that pierced his soul during that battle.

In the darkness, he sees _her._

He sees her face, bloodied and twisted with pain. Yet her crystal blue eyes still shone with ferocity and determination as she dashed to attack him.

That was the demon's face that he thought would deliver death upon him.

_Lightning Farron…_

His recuperating body trembles with hatred. True that she has failed to kill him; true that Fafnir has hurt her more than it hurt him; true that she's fallen before him…

…But she is still alive, against all odds.

She is still alive. She hasn't died like he wished, when he left her lying in the rain that night, covered in her own blood. Her friends have saved her right from the precipice of death's realm.

And now she's out there, wreaking havoc in his absence.

From the steady flow of information that the fal'Cie Eden sends into Orphan's Cradle, he has managed to get a glimpse of what has been happening outside, in Cocoon.

Lightning Farron, Oerba Yun Fang and Oerba Dia Vanille have successfully broken through Zalera, freeing the rest of their friends.

When he received that information, he almost roared with fury. With their escape from Zalera, his plan has officially been obliterated. He planned to kill all the useless l'Cie—he failed. He planned to at least capture some of them and lured the others into the heavily-guarded Zalera—again, he failed. Instead, they have eradicated Zalera's guards and freed their friends. Nothing good is left of his plan. It has been torn asunder.

All because of one woman.

_Lightning Farron._

Hatred throbs in his body like poison.

Just a little longer… just a little longer, then his body would heal fully and he can leave this place. He will come and get her. This time, he will make sure she dies in agony. After she witness the death of her beloved sister and friends, that is.

No more holding back. He's a fal'Cie—he has all the means necessary, including a whole army at his disposal, to use against the rogue l'Cie. He has endured enough humiliation and pain. Now is the time he unleash all his power.

_I shall eradicate you all, insolent lowlife._

* * *

><p>That day, the soldiers were making their usual rounds around Edenhall. The most elite are stationed right in front of the gate that leads into Orphan's Cradle, with their weapons ready.<p>

When suddenly the gate trembles.

All personnel turn to face the gate, weapons raised, but reluctant to shoot. They know their Primarch is inside... is he alright? What has caused that gate to tremble, now more vigorously than ever?

The Commander raises his hand. His troop assumes a defensive position, stepping away from the trembling gate.

Wise move.

Because a second later, the gate's hinges creak dangerously, the marble wall around it crack…

BOOM!

The soldiers yell, raising their shields, as the gate explodes outwards. Bits of metals and stones rain down upon them, causing indents on their armor. But none of them pays attention to this—their eyes are all fixed on the darkness beyond the open gate.

Something stirs in the darkness, something massive.

Then the silhouette recoils; before a deafening, furious roar splits the air.

"FARROOON!"

That roar sends the soldiers aback with its sheer power, sending them tumbling down the stairs—even the Commander. However, when they stand up again, they no longer see the towering silhouette.

Instead they see a man standing on top of the stairs.

A few surprised gasps, before all soldiers bow down in respect—for Primarch Dysley has returned.

* * *

><p>"Sir, every town in Cocoon is accounted for. Nothing extraordinary has happened in your absence, and even the Sanctum has been functioning as per normal. With your return, the current vice-Primarch shall step down and you would assume all leadership over the government again. We are broadcasting your recuperation to the whole Cocoon, sir—everyone is overjoyed. Now about some judicial matters—"<p>

"Save that," the Primarch cuts the minister, waving his wrinkled hand dismissively. Without slowing his stride, he continues walking through Edenhall with his minister struggling to keep up and talk at the same time. All around them, the elite troop of PSICOM follows dutifully with their weapons ready. A few beacons take record of the procession, broadcasting the Primarch's reappearance to the rest of Cocoon.

In all towns, the citizens rejoice and cheer for their revered Primarch's recuperation.

"Sir?" the minister asks apprehensively.

"That can wait for later. No, turn off those beacons for now—I have an urgent matter to discuss with my PSICOM Commander. Where is High Commander Rosch?"

The minister bows down solemnly. "Sir, it is most regrettable, but Commander Rosch has fallen. It happened during the same battle that you fought against the l'Cie."

The Primarch stops, feigning deep sorrow in his face. But then he collects himself. "Commander Rosch… that is indeed most regrettable. I assume a ceremony has been held in his honor?"

"Yes, sire."

"Then who is his successor? Whom can I discuss war strategies with now?"

The minister blinks. "War, sir?"

The Primarch nods grimly. "Yes, you heard me. A war is soon going to break between Cocoon and Pulse; or more precisely, between us PSICOM and the l'Cie. But worry not—" he raises his hand to silence the gasps and murmurs that arise—"I shall see to it myself that we emerge victorious. My recuperation, aided by the great fal'Cie Orphan, has not only healed me… but strengthened me as well. With the will of the fal'Cie flowing in my blood, I shall ensure that the l'Cie be brought down to their knees before our army."

The minister fidgets. "And when will this war break…?"

Primarch Galenth Dysley looks solemnly out of the window, gazing at the setting sun.

"Tomorrow morning, the l'Cie will come."

* * *

><p>This is war.<p>

There is no other word to describe the situation right now.

Soldiers dash to form their ranks, commanders give orders, war machines whir into life… and all around the cities, emergency message is broadcasted to the nervous citizens gathering at their respective city square. They gaze at a gigantic screen, where the Primarch's face is being broadcasted live.

When the crowds have settled and quieted down, the Primarch's voice booms from the massive speakers.

"My fellow Cocoon citizens, we have come to a point where, once again, war is going to break between Pulse and Cocoon." He doesn't waste any time with pleasantries—he goes straight to the point, which further indicates the seriousness of the situation.

"Five hundred years ago, a similar war broke. Yet with the help of our benevolent fal'Cie, we won the war and cast away the Pulsian army despite the huge crack that they have craved in Cocoon's shell. Now it shall be no different. When the l'Cie attack tomorrow morning, we shall welcome them with our superior army and war machines!"

Nervous murmurs spread among citizens, yet none moves—the PSICOM soldiers who stand guard around the square keep them wary.

"However, there's nothing is to be feared—the Sanctum swears to protect you at all costs. In addition, we are completely confident that we will emerge victorious in this war," the Primarch's voice booms again. "The l'Cie have been weakened from the previous battle, while I have been fully healed by our generous fal'Cie. Furthermore, I myself will lead this war. The fal'Cie and I shall use all within our power to bring the wicked l'Cie onto their knees!"

At that, the people begin to look assured. They exchange nods and whisper among themselves.

"Do we need to take arms, as well?" suddenly a young man shouts from amidst the crowds.

"No, that will not be necessary. The PSICOM is more than enough to fight this winning battle for you," the Primarch answers confidently. "There is nothing you need to do but lie low and wait for the war to conclude. You don't even have to evacuate—you can remain in the safety of your homes. We will ensure your safety to the very last person."

"No evacuation?"

"Really?"

"But this is war—"

"Where will the war break?" another man shouts.

"According to my prediction, the l'Cie will arrive at dawn on the outskirts of Palumpolum. That is why we are concentrating our army there, while the Guardian Corps will be stationed in the town areas to further ensure your safety. In that way, the war and its damage should be restricted to the outskirts areas only."

"Forgive my asking, Your Eminence, but how do you know all this information? You just returned from recuperation!" shouts a young woman.

"The fal'Cie Eden is my source of information," the Primarch answers smoothly. "He was the one who kept me updated of the matters of the state as the fal'Cie Orphan healed me. Worry not, everything is accounted for. Let me reiterate, the Sanctum and the PSICOM shall make your safety our top priority."

Upon hearing this, the crowd falls quiet.

"If there is no further question, I would now like you to return to your homes and lie low. You need only wait until we eradicate the threatening l'Cie once and for all, my fellow citizens," the Primarch says sternly.

Here, the PSICOM soldiers around the square begin to herd the people back into the town. They move slowly, reluctantly. However, there is not a single shed of suspicion in their hearts that their Primarch is actually the one planning their demise all along.

Meanwhile, from all over Cocoon, PSICOM soldiers and war machines march into the grassland on the outskirts of Palumpolum, awaiting the l'Cie attack.

* * *

><p>"That should do it, sir. Every citizen has been confirmed to be at their homes," the Primarch's minister reports.<p>

"How about the army?" Primarch Dysley asks from his throne, his eyes scanning the scenery outside the window of his office in Eden.

"The army is almost ready. All soldiers are already positioned at the grassland—directly next to the ravine, like you commanded. We only need to wait for the remaining war machines from farther towns to assemble, sir. They await your further instructions."

"Very well," the Primarch nods grimly as he stands up. "Then I shall get ready for war myself."

"Sir?"

"I shall re-use my war machine, the one that I used during the previous battle with the l'Cie. The fal'Cie Orphan has fixed it as I recuperated as well, and now it is stronger than ever."

The minister nods, too nervous to comment. In his mind he recalls the gigantic war machine; with massive claws, impenetrable armor and magic at its disposal. But that's all he knows about it: a war machine. Little did he know that it is actually just the real form of the Primarch, his real form as the fal'Cie Barthandelus.

The Primarch smirks coldly to himself as he walks towards the plane prepared for him.

"But before I go to join the army… there is something else I need to do, somewhere farther. No, I need to take care of it alone," he says as the minister opens his mouth. "Worry not. It is my strategy to win this war. I shall join the army after I take care of the matter—and it would be before the l'Cie arrive."

The minister nods, albeit a little confused. But he knows better than to question the Primarch, who has communicated with the high fal'Cie of Cocoon. He bows down as the Primarch boards his plane and leaves.

* * *

><p>As his plane shoots through the clouds, Barthandelus muses in his seat. Everything has gone well—he has succeeded in manipulating the Cocoon citizens and army to his will. They would help him destroy the l'Cie, the l'Cie who actually wish to protect Cocoon.<p>

He smiles at the cruel irony.

But still, the l'Cie aren't to be taken lightly. They have obliterated Zalera's army… Even with the entire PSICOM at his disposal, Barthandelus is sure that the l'Cie would be able to eradicate them. He knows this, yet he feels no regret. Those army would serve as his decoy.

It is just a part of his strategy—using the army to wear down the l'Cie. Once they are tired… he would strike. The army would doubtlessly be the sacrifice here, but he knows they would do so happily. Anything to serve their beloved Primarch and hometown.

Hmph. Foolish, gullible, miserable creatures. They should be honored to be part of his strategy at all.

However…

Barthandelus taps his long fingers on his armrest. Everything seems fine so far, everything seems under his control. With Eden's help, he has known that the l'Cie have stolen portal manadrives from a few PSICOM personnel during their escape to Pulse. Those portals are connected to the outskirts area of Palumpolum, which is why he knows where the l'Cie would arrive. As about when, he knows they would come as soon as news of his recuperation get broadcasted in Cocoon, because they've stolen portable screens as well. Overall, he knows their plan and whereabouts.

But one thing has been bugging him: he doesn't know exactly what the l'Cie have been doing in Pulse.

Especially because they have split up and trained in small pairs.

Barthandelus clicks his tongue. Doubtlessly, the l'Cie have gotten stronger since their last battle. Even with his increased strength, he still has to be careful. This is a war he cannot win by strength alone—he needs strategy. Especially because that Lightning Farron seems to have devised a way to use Fafnir without suffering the fire sword's backlash.

If he is to win, he needs to split the l'Cie's power _before _they strike. 'Divide and conquer'—the most basic war strategy. He shall see to it that not all the l'Cie can strike his assembled army at once.

With a menacing smile, Barthandelus sits back as his plane shoots through the darkening sky towards his destination.

Which happens to be… Gran Pulse.

Barthandelus chuckles menacingly. He still has plenty of time left before the l'Cie's portable screens receive the broadcast of his recuperation. Before they do, he is going to silently undermine them first—then return to Cocoon, to welcome their assault with his army.

This is war.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the full force of PSICOM army has assembled at the grassland beside the ravine. They swarm the area—when seen from the air, the army has even covered the entire ground. Not a patch of grass is free from PSICOM personnel. All kinds of war machines are there: Drones, Vikings, Velocycles, Reapers, Warmech, Eliminators… even the bioweapons are present, from the smallest Frag Leech to the mightiest Proto-behemoth. Up in the skies, the clouds are joined by the Interceptors, Strikers and even Skytanks. All these artificial soldiers stride alongside the human soldiers, waiting for their enemies' arrival. Meanwhile, numerous beacons float around the area, recording the situation to be broadcasted to the apprehensive citizens hiding in their homes.<p>

Way behind the troops, crouching hidden at the bottom of the ravine itself, is Barthandelus—already in his fal'Cie form. The army has seen him arriving in that form before he entered the ravine, but none realizes his true identity and intent. Every soldier is ready to sacrifice even their life to protect their Primarch, and, by doing so, Cocoon. Or so they believe. Little did they know that they are but pawns in his cruel plot, only there to aid him in destroying the l'Cie who actually wish to protect Cocoon just like them.

* * *

><p>Time passes. The army has been there for hours, waiting. And now that the first rays of sunlight begin to illuminate the warzone, the soldiers hold their weapons tighter in anticipation.<p>

Barthandelus smirks as the sun rises to its full glory. The yellow rays hit the brown rocks that scattered around the area, causing them to have a reddish glow much like blood.

The sunrays creep across the grass—

"THEY'RE HERE!"

A sudden shout pierces through the air, sending the soldiers into their offensive positions. Because right then, a massive black portal opens in the air, a portal that is doubtlessly from Pulse.

The l'Cie are here.

"Open fire!"

* * *

><p>The PSICOM soldiers at the frontline obey their command. Without further ado, they shoot their weapons rapidly, aiming at the enlarging portal. Something massive moves within it, something that doesn't even recoil in the barrage of bullets. Is it the l'Cie?<p>

However, as the creature in the portal begins to emerge, it lets out a powerful bellow that makes the first few soldiers falter. They keep firing their weapons, though—that is, until the creature steps into Cocoon and its form is revealed.

The soldiers unconsciously cease their firing in horror upon sight of the monster.

A massive, towering grey creature, with skin as thick as iron—it looms taller than the soldiers, taller than any war machine, even almost as tall as a skyscraper—

The soldiers resume their firing in renewed urgency, causing the creature to bellow again. But while the bellow almost deafened the soldiers, they still stare at the creature in confusion… for they do not see its mouth. Where does the sound come from…?

But the answer of that question arrives when the creature moves forward.

The towering grey 'creature'… is not the full body of the monster yet. It is just the monster's _foreleg._

With another long, deafening bellow, a mighty Adamantoise steps fully into Cocoon.

* * *

><p>Frightened shouts ring through the air, as the entire army sees the gigantic monster. But before the commanders can assume any orders… the monster strikes. It thumps its massive forelegs to the ground, sending Quake to the frontline soldiers. Without exception, all of them get thrown aback, pained screams filling the air.<p>

The other soldiers resume their firing, the top-notch war machines begin to attack the Adamantoise. They target its forelegs, preventing it from releasing Quake again. The monster bellows angrily, swiping its tusks across the ground. Several Proto-behemoths get cut into half immediately, electricity crackling on their mangled body parts.

"Whoa! Be careful, now! Don't make him unnecessarily angrier!"

That cheerful voice rings, causing the nearest soldiers to look up. Their jaws drop—as they see a petite red-haired girl sitting on the Adamantoise's head.

"Great fal'Cie, the l'Cie is controlling this beast!" the soldiers shout in terror, faltering in their attack.

From her cozy seat high above the battlefield, Vanille watches curiously as her Adamantoise crushes a few more Anatavapta Warmechs under its forelegs—with a nasty-sounding crunch at that, too.

* * *

><p>"Don't cease fire! Keep attacking! Bring this beast down!"<p>

Fuelled by fear, the soldiers shoot their weapons desperately. Up in the skies, the flying units have advanced towards the Adamantoise as well.

"Oops, oops."

Meanwhile, Vanille is busy balancing on her Adamantoise's head, as it raises both its forelegs and brings them down upon a group of Vikings. She grabs the thorn-like scale in front of her, one of the few that line the Adamantoise's head and neck. Whew, it's kinda scary to be this high above the ground—

But then, suddenly a Havoc Skytank emerges from beside her Adamantoise with a menacing whirring. Vanille turns around, surprised, as its cannons move into position.

BAM!

"Aaaah!"

Vanille covers her head with her arm, as the Skytank opens fire. Its cannons shoot directly at her Adamantoise's neck, which swings dangerously and roars in fury. On its head, Vanille desperately grabs the thorn-like scale again to prevent herself from falling.

"Stop that!" Vanille squeals in protest at the Skytank. However, the war machine ignores her and resumes firing.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance at the temerity, Vanille pats her Adamantoise's thick eyelid to prompt it to attack. At around the same time, the Skytank's cannons hit its back again.

"I said… stop that!"

With a roar, the Adamantoise swings its massive tail, successfully hitting the Skytank head-on. It explodes in mid-air, showering Vanille with pieces of fiery metals. But none hit her, for she has applied a well-timed Protect spell around herself. The smoke, however, has irritated her Adamantoise—and without warning, the creature sneezes.

A sneezing Adamantoise isn't pleasant—not when one is hovering right in front of its head. Unfortunately, this is the fate suffered by a Garuda Interceptor which has recently flown towards the Adamantoise's head to attack. It is now thrown aback, covered in thick mucus, and slams into its counterpart in another fiery explosion.

From her place on the Adamantoise's head, Vanille giggles. She pats the creature's neck affectionately.

"Gosh, that was close. Remember to stay away from smokes next time, Rainbow!"

A sudden choir of alerted shouts makes the redhead looks up—right to see another portal opening on the ground, a few feet away from her Adamantoise. Something recoils within it—

"You," a groaning voice calls out from within the portal, "name _that _creature 'Rainbow'?"

A wide smile breaks on the redhead's face when she recognizes that voice.

"Sazh!"

* * *

><p>That's Sazh indeed—sitting with his chirping chocobo chick on a Boxed Phalanx, which is currently busy swinging its heavy arms to bash the pouncing Pantherons.<p>

The old man looks up skeptically at the turtle-like monstrosity before him. "Seriously…" he sighs.

"Hi, Sazh! Hi, hi, hi! Great to see you again after so long!"

Meanwhile, Vanille is waving enthusiastically at him, totally oblivious of her Adamantoise who has just banished a troop of Watchdrones into oblivion with a single strike of its tail.

"Hey, kiddo," Sazh replies, can't help but grinning back at the bubbly girl.

"So you have the same idea as we did, huh?" Vanille chirps happily again, pointing at Sazh's Boxed Phalanx.

"Yeah, I met him in Mah'habara and he looked friendly enough; so I brought him here to help clean up a bit—wait, you said 'we'?"

"That's right, old man, 'we'! Yours truly is right behind ya!"

"Oh, man," Sazh closes his eyes for a second, before steeling his will to turn around and face the owner of that voice. No wonder there hasn't been any PSICOM monsters attacking him…

…Because all nearby enemies are being gored by a snarling Megistotherian. It has just leaped out from another portal, but is now already busy chomping on an entire Ushumgal Subjugator.

And on the feral canine's neck, sitting side-saddle, is—

"Oerba Yun Fang, here to kick all of you sorry lot! Ha, eat that!"

Sazh sighs. "Hi to you too, Fang."

"One sec, please," Fang replies, slapping her Megistotherian's neck to make him claw at the next group of Thexterons. After a few moments of noisy chomping, clawing and bashing that make Sazh raise his eyebrows, finally the huntress spares some time to regard him with her usual cocky grin.

"Nice choice of a ride, old man. Suits your character," Fang smirks, waving her lance lazily at Sazh's humble Boxed Phalanx.

The pilot shrugs. "Well, I certainly have no energy to tame such a fickle monster like yours, Fang. But this… urm, giant dog suits you fine, too."

"Oi! This isn't a dog; this is the mighty Megistotherian of Gran Pulse! King of the canine predators!" Fang scowls dangerously, causing Sazh to raise his hands apologetically.

But then the huntress laughs as she looks up at Vanille on top of the Adamantoise. "But nothing can compare with Vanille's cute Rainbow here, yea?"

"Yeah, right," Sazh sighs for what he thinks must be the millionth time. Seriously, these two… he can never understand their antiques. The little bubbly bundle-of-joy has tamed an Adamantoise—for Etro's sake, an Adamantoise! And the cheeky huntress isn't to be forgotten too. Megistotherian, for real. How the hell did they two tame those creatures?!

But still, Sazh smiles. If there is one thing that their choices of monsters prove, it is that they have both gotten way stronger. One cannot tame an Adamantoise or a Megistotherian with baits and smiles, that's for sure.

"Anyway, this is awesome. Both our teams have gotten the same idea to bring some Gran Pulse creatures along!" Fang comments.

"Hmm?" Vanille looks down curiously when she suddenly sees another portal opening a few meters away. "Oh, there's Hope!" she squeals happily.

Right, that is really Hope who emerges from the portal—riding on a jet-black Juggernaut, which immediately whacks the attacking Vespids into oblivion.

At this, Fang barks out laughing. "Kid's always been fond of those Juggernauts, hasn't he?"

Meanwhile, Hope has seen them too—and his eyes widen upon seeing Fang and Vanille's monsters. But then he laughs and steers the Juggernaut towards his friends. With lazy swipes of its arms, the mechanical monster sweeps its way through the attacking Lucidons, breaking their tough synthetic armors with ease.

"Nice to see you again, Fang, Vanille!" Hope waves at them. "Sazh has arrived first, huh?"

Sazh grumbles. "You sound surprised, kid."

Hope laughs. "Sorry. Anyway, I knew Snow would be the last one to arrive. His choice of monster is kinda… inappropriate."

"Really, now? What does he choose?" Fang immediately asks with interest. By the arrival of four l'Cie complete with their Pulsian monsters, the soldiers have somewhat subdued their attack. They approach warily now, shooting the monsters for afar. But of course, the bullets have little effect on the tough skins of the monsters. Plus, Vanille and Sazh have conjured up a Protectga around all of them. Fang's Megistotherian has even decided to sit down while its 'master' talks to her comrades, completely ignoring the vast army's attacks.

"He chose—"

However, there is no more need for Hope to explain. Because right then, another portal appears as well—in the sky, a few meters above the ground.

"Oh wait, I think that'd be Snow, at last."

Right after Hope finishes his sentence, something that looks like a giant green blob falls from the portal, landing heavily right on an Alpha-behemoth and immediately crushing it flat.

"No way!" Fang laughs upon seeing the creature, while Vanille gapes.

"Oi, Snow! Nice monster!"

Snow—for it is really him who sits on the giant green blob—looks up upon hearing Fang's voice.

"Oooh, hey, guys! You're all here already, huh?"

"Yep, 'hero'! You're late!" Vanille answers with a giggle.

Snow grins back. "Heroes always come late!"

"But they sure as hell don't arrive sitting on a goofy Ochu, y'know!" Fang replies, breaking into a full-blown laughter.

Yeah, that's right. Snow has chosen a particularly fat, drooling green Ochu as his accompaniment to the battlefield.

Vanille, Sazh and Hope laugh as well upon seeing Snow's offended face.

"He has a reason to choose the Ochu, that boy," Sazh tells Fang with a shrug. "Kinda sappy, but I didn't have the heart to tell 'im."

Fang rises her eyebrows as Snow—laboriously—directs his Ochu towards the gang. It moves pretty damn slow, and its vines are nowhere near controlled. They are swinging freely in the air, sometimes almost bashing Snow's head other than the surrounding enemies.

"So, Mr. Hero-on-Ochu. Why the creature?"

Snow looks back sheepishly at Fang. "Uh, this Ochu… there's a giant morning-glory flower growing on its back, so I thought Serah would like him…?"

That's done it. Upon hearing this reason, Fang roars with laughter, almost falling from her Megistotherian. Similarly, Vanille is squealing on her Adamantoise's head.

"Aww, that's a sweet reason, Snow!"

Snow grins immediately, scratching the back of his head. But then he looks around in confusion. "Anyway, guys, where's Serah? And… Lightning?"

Everyone stops laughing then. They look at each other, but upon seeing blank faces, they all know that no one has seen the Farrons yet.

"Think they're already here?" Vanille asks, looking around from her high vantage point across the sea of soldiers.

"Nah, don't think so. If Lightning is here, there's bound to be some explosions booming around," Fang replies, scanning the area as well.

"So they haven't arrived, then. They're late."

"Quite unbecoming of Lightning, don't you guys think?"

Hope looks around nervously. "Do you … do you guys think she is facing trouble? In Pulse, I mean. Can something bad happen to her, that's why she can't come here?"

Vanille squeals upon hearing this. "Oh gosh, what if—"

But Fang cuts her worried rant with a scoff. "Nope, don't think so. Even if the entire Faultwarrens go on a murderous rampage, I'm sure Light will find a way to come here. She's the physical manifestation of stubbornness, that woman."

Sazh chuckles. "Ha. Quite right."

"Besides, she's got Serah as her Medic. My guess is she still needs some time to train with Fafnir; or to prepare something for this war," says Fang, her fingers unconsciously tapping her Megistotherian's head. "But I believe she _will _come, no matter what."

Hope nods. "Yeah, I believe that too."

"Okay… so what do we do now? Just continue fighting first without Soldier Girl?" Sazh asks.

"Sure thing, old man! What, are you suggesting that we just sit and wait for Light?" Fang scoffs. "No way am I going to wait. If Light comes later and finds out that there's no more army for her to bash, it'll be her fault, yea! Because I—" here Fang swirls her lance menacingly—"shall banish all these fools to oblivion first!"

Sazh huffs. "Always with the enthusiasm…"

"So, attack it is, then!" Snow hollers, smacking his fists together and almost lost his balance on his Ochu. He quickly grabs one of the veins protruding from its back, though, and is thus saved from tumbling headfirst to the muddy grass.

Vanille giggles. "Well, first things first, though—where exactly are we?"

Hope looks around, past the sea of soldiers and at the ravine beyond them. The battlefield itself is covered in green grass, but the ground is cracked in several places. One particularly large crack leads to the ravine ahead, which base he cannot see.

"Uh, I think we are somewhere near Palumpolum… I recognize the soil color," he says hesitantly.

"You're right, kid," Sazh mumbles. He puts a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and scans the horizon. "I can see the town itself, right there. We ain't that far away from it."

Fang chuckles. "Whoa, so we're warring near a town. How thrilling."

Sazh rolls his eyes. "Look, there are numerous watch-beacons among the army as well. I bet they're broadcasting this war to the entire Cocoon."

"But… where is the boss?" Snow asks hesitantly. "Y'know, Barthandelus. I don't see him anywhere within the army."

The others have realized the fal'Cie's conspicuous absence too, but they were too thrilled with their reunion to voice it out. Now, however, they begin looking around for their nemesis as well. They have all come prepared to face Barthandelus, but he isn't leading the army like they predicted.

"Hmm, this is annoying," Fang frowns. "We came all the way here to bash _him_up!"

"Chill, Fang," Sazh says. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere. They said it in the broadcast, right? 'The Primarch will lead the army himself' and all those stuff."

"Yeah, I heard that too. But if that's so, where's he then?"

"That ravine looks suspicious," Hope suddenly says. Everyone turns to look at him, and he shrugs. "I mean, Light told me before… In wars, the generals are never in the frontline. They're always at the back, hidden and protected by the army. I think… maybe Barthandelus is hiding in the ravine, issuing his commands from there?"

"Hmph, makes sense," Sazh comments, scratching his head. "We have no choice but to bet on that theory for now. It's quite plausible, really; knowing that cunning fal'Cie… hiding inside a ravine seems like something he would do."

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's attack!" Fang hollers. With a tight slap to the ear, she prompts her Megistotherian to spring up into its fighting position again.

"Whoa, hold your reins, Fang. Let's make our stand in this battle clear first," Sazh rebukes. The others look at him curiously, expecting some kind of a sermon.

"What?"

"Before you go attacking like a headless chocobo, all of us need to know this: we are _not_ here to wipe out Cocoon's army. We're here to kill _Barthandelus _and stop him from eradicating the entire Cocoon!"

Fang shrugs nonchalantly. "I know that. But since those soldiers are so stupid as to protect the evil mastermind behind this whole drama, then we still have to wipe them out to reach that cowardy fal'Cie in that ravine, right?"

Sazh groans. "Can't say you're wrong on that. But duh, at least we can minimize the damage on the soldiers, right? Like, just attack those who attack us, and focus the brunt of our attacks to the bioweapons and war machines only?"

Fang contemplates this for a moment. Finally, she says, "Fair enough."

Sazh grins. "Alright. The rest of you kids, you heard me. Minimize damage on the soldiers, focus on the machines… and once we cut our way through, focus on that decrepit old fal'Cie, of course!"

"Roger that!" Snow roars, while Hope and Vanille nod.

"Alright, enough pleasant talk. Time to let loose!" Fang says.

With that, she urges her Megistotherian to pounce into the army's midst, followed closely by the others.

And upon seeing the l'Cie's advance, the army starts resuming their attacks as well. The war has begun.

* * *

><p><em>Insolent creatures.<em>

Barthandelus is fuming with rage. The l'Cie have done something he hasn't predicted: they brought Pulsian monsters to the battlefield with them. While it is not something that would jeopardize his entire plan, but it is still a nuisance. The monsters would reduce his army significantly, and that means the l'Cie would be able to saunter right to him without having their energy depleted too much like he planned.

Barthandelus clenches his clawed fists in fury. Why, why must those petty l'Cie defy him so? To exactly what end will their defiance last?!

A rumble along the ravine's wall snaps his attention back to the war above. He sighs, slamming his fist to the ground in an attempt to subdue his rage. No, he can't let his wrath break loose now. He shall wait for the l'Cie to run to him, not the other way around. That way, they would be the one spending more energy. He is just going to wait for them to get drained before dealing his killing blow.

But still… the presence of those Pulsian monsters assures him that the l'Cie won't exactly be drained. He would surely need to fight them later. But for now… wait he must.

With a growl, the massive fal'Cie looks up at the shimmering sky above the ravine.

* * *

><p>In wars, the first clash between the opposing forces normally results in the immediate deaths of the frontline soldiers—from both forces. However, that is for 'normally.' But this war is nothing but normal.<p>

The moment the l'Cie clash with the army, chaos immediately ensues on the PSICOM army's part. Their bioweapons and war machines are instantly torn to shreds by Fang's Megistotherian, or crushed by Sazh's Boxed Phalanx and Hope's Juggernaut. Not to mention strangled by Snow's Ochu and flattened under Vanille's Adamantoises' legs.

In short, the l'Cie successfully eradicated the PSICOM's frontline while receiving no damage at all—thanks to their Protect and Shell spells. And now that the frontline is destroyed, the l'Cie proceed in cutting their way through the throngs of enemies towards the ravine, where they suspect their nemesis to be hiding.

"Here comes the second wave!" Vanille shouts as she perceives the next line of war machines dashing to attack them, nonchalantly stepping on the remains of their counterparts as they pass.

With a quick pat on the head, Vanille directs her Adamantoise to attack a specific group of Subjugators, ones that she deems most difficult to bring down. However, under her Adamantoise's power, the Subjugators stand no chance.

But while Vanille chooses to conserve her stamina and leaves her Adamantoise to do most of the job, Fang certainly wants some fun for herself.

With a battle roar, the huntress leaps from her Megistotherian's back, her crimson lance raised high above her head. She times her attack well; as her Megistotherian pounces on a group of Drones, she strikes at the next approaching group of Reapers.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait, Fang, I'm behind you!" Sazh's protests in panic as he sees Fang's familiar Highwind stance.

BOOM!

"Gah!"

Sazh covers his head with his arms as Fang came crashing down into the midst of enemies like a guillotine. It doesn't hit him, but its destructive impact force still sends gusts of heavy wind at him.

However, the pilot's jaw drops when he realizes that Fang's Highwind is doing _much _more damage than it usually does.

Because the moment Fang hits the ground, she immediately chains her Highwind with a Quake. Result being, the attack's damage get transferred from within the ground and spread through a large area, bringing down tens of war machines immediately and causing cracks to open in the ground. Dust and pebbles get thrown to the air, clinking as they hit the machines' metal bodies.

Immediately the area around Fang becomes totally clean of enemies, if one ignores the wreckage that litters around.

_There she is again_, Sazh sighs as he lowers his arms. Fang has straightened up from her crouching position after unleashing that mighty Highwind, and is now smirking cheekily at him.

"That, old man," she says proudly. "Is how you sweep the enemies away."

"Yeah, right," Sazh groans. With the nearest enemies gone, he can have some time to relax. "But it almost swept me away too, y'know."

The huntress laughs, jumping back onto her Megistotherian's neck. "Well, then you'd better keep your distance!"

Then Fang dashes off on her Megistotherian, slashing her bladed lance at the enemies attacking her from the sides. The ones in front, well, she leaves it to her ferocious canine partner to take care of.

The brief respite is over; Sazh prompts his Boxed Phalanx forward to catch up with Fang again. By now the army has separated them from the rest of their friends, and Sazh sure as hell doesn't want to be completely alone in the middle of the battlefield. Nope, he'd rather stick around Fang, rowdy as she is. With that, he lets his Boxed Phalanx swing its arms around to destroy the pouncing bioweapons.

Meanwhile, Snow is having trouble controlling his Ochu. The fickle monster totally ignores his prompting, and is currently more interested in belching poisonous fumes from its backside. Realizing that the fumes—which have knocked the nearest bioweapons out cold—would reach him soon, Snow decides it is time to abandon ship.

"Yah!"

With a yell, Snow jumps off the giant plant's back. He sees Fang and Sazh a few distance away, and decides it would be cool to join them—he needs to hitch a ride, after all. He can't possibly run all the way across this entire warzone to the ravine; that much he knows.

However, while the nearest enemies have been dispatched by his Ochu, but Snow still finds his way blocked by a group of PSICOM Warlords. They hold their jagged spears menacingly, dashing towards him with deadly intent.

Sazh said 'minimize the damage to the soldiers.'

Snow shrugs. Well, he'd love to, but these Warlords are standing in his way. Time for the hero to attack!

With a grin, Snow slams his fists together, not even trying to move away from the Warlords. They certainly didn't expect this bold defiance, and are thus taken aback. It was just a moment's distraction, but enough for Snow to dodge the jabbing lance of the Warlord who reaches him first. Then, without hesitation, he slams his Sovereign Fist into the Warlord's midriff with a battle cry.

"The hero ALWAYS wins!"

* * *

><p>Fang and Sazh are trotting side-by-side on their respective rides, bashing and shooting the surrounding Crusaders—when they heard Snow's battle cry. They turn their heads almost immediately, leaving their monsters to deal with the few daring enemies that approach.<p>

Fang clicks her tongue in disapproval when she sees Snow ramming his Sovereign Fist into a Warlord. From what she's seen of that attack of his, she knows that it only focuses the damage on one target. It's kinda inappropriate to use when he's surrounded by more than three enemies!

But wait—

Fang barks out laughing when she sees what happens next. Really, not bad, Snow! Seems he's improved his Sovereign Fist, just like how she improved her Highwind.

Because the moment Snow's Sovereign Fist hits the Warlord, a Blizzaga spikes out from it as well. The spell immediately spreads from the Warlord's midriff, until his entire body becomes frozen. However, it doesn't stop there— the strength of Snow's punch sends the man's body flying backwards, ramming straight to his comrades. And they too, immediately become frozen as the Blizzaga spreads.

Amidst the group of now-frozen Warlords, Snow raises his fist and shouts victoriously.

Sazh huffs. _Great. Now I'm surrounded by two show-offs._

But then, the pilot notices Snow, who's waving his hands rapidly at him.

"Hey old man, looks like that idiot needs a ride. His Ochu's gone."

Another sigh. "So what do you want me to do, Fang?"

"Go and get 'im, of course. He's waving at you, not me."

* * *

><p><em>What a mess.<em>

Vanille frowns in disdain as she watches the mess of soldiers on the ground far below her. Her perch on the Adamantoise has spared her from most of the attacks, but despite that she still has to deal with the flying unit that attacks her. Her binding rod is out now, busy slashing at the swooping enemies like Kalavinka Strikers, Vespids and the likes.

However, currently no more flying enemies are threatening her. This gives Vanille some time to assess the warzone from her high vantage point.

First observation: everything is messy. Kinda like Fang's hair when she just alights from Bahamut, really. All order and regulation have been forgotten—bioweapons and war machines from differing ranks and units are mingled together, steered cluelessly through the unpredictability of the battle. Explosions and other massive area attacks send them fleeing and dodging, and are thus scattered throughout the area. However, all of them are attacking the same targets: the l'Cie.

Vanille can see that pattern clearly. Wherever the enemies surge, one of her friends must be there. However, that surge of enemies will soon be torn asunder, either by the Pulsian monsters or the l'Cie themselves. She has seen Fang and Snow unleashing their attacks just now; she giggled upon seeing the area around them immediately cleared after the attacks.

But really… When this war first started, the PSICOM were still maintaining their ranks and order. However, all those got forsaken very quickly into this mess of confusion, the moment Vanille and her friends started attacking. It's true that the human soldiers are more-or-less still maintaining their order as compared to the rampaging bioweapons and war machines—but this is only because they have not suffered the brunt of the l'Cie's attacks yet.

Currently, the human soldiers are positioned behind the lines of war machines and bioweapons. Some of them were actually at the frontline, but upon witnessing the Adamantoise's power when she first arrived, they retreated to the backline. That leaves mainly the bioweapons and war machines to be eradicated slowly by Vanille and her friends. The l'Cie are progressing slowly but steadily now, towards the ravine.

Vanille puts a hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun as she scans the battlefield again. Now that the sun has risen completely, its heat is getting uncomfortable. But hey, that is but one of the various discomforts of war.

Hmm… currently, Fang is leading—she is basically the foremost l'Cie in the midst of all these enemies. Yet she seems unhurt, as she zealously swings her lance around to banish the enemies surrounding her Megistotherian. A little further behind her, Sazh follows on his Boxed Phalanx—and Snow's with him, too. That leaves Vanille and Hope at the backline.

The redhead glances to her right, where Hope is busy controlling his Juggernaut to bash a group of Adamantherons. There are already quite a number of enemies separating them… looks like it's time to join forces.

"Hope!" Vanille calls out, yelling as loudly as she can to beat the noises of the battle. Hope hears her; he looks up.

"Wanna join the others?" Vanille shouts again, gesturing at Fang, Sazh and Snow ahead. The boy glances at them first, before nodding.

"Yeah, okay!"

"Let's clear the way, then!"

* * *

><p>"Hey look, Hope and Vanille are heading this way!" Snow announces after he sends a backward glance. Sazh and Fang turn their heads too, and see the Adamantoise and Juggernaut trudging their way through the enemies.<p>

"Whoa, look at those Warmechs go," Sazh comments worriedly. That's right, upon seeing the Adamantoise making its move, the biggest war machines and bioweapons immediately focus their attack on the giant. Despite its power, the Pulsian monster still struggles upon facing that many enemies. Beside it, Hope and his Juggernaut are facing the same problem too.

"They're never gonna catch up at that rate," Fang growls. Her anger rises; she hates it when Vanille gets into trouble.

"Yep. Their monsters are too big; they're attracting too much attention. Those war machines would keep blocking their way."

"Let's save them, then!" Snow hollers, grinning enthusiastically. "Hope can join us on this Boxed Phalanx, right, Sazh? And Vanille can join Fang! We can leave the Adamantoise and Juggernaut behind; they'll take care of the brute enemies for us while we make our way to the ravine."

"Hmph, for once your idea makes sense, Snow," Fang smirks. "Alright then; let's go get 'em… but first, we have to deal with these doggy robots first."

That's right, a vast group of Pantherons are currently separating the three l'Cie from Vanille and Hope. Fang and Snow smirk, getting ready to unleash their devastating attacks—when Sazh moves in.

"Hold your reins, kids. These dogs are weak against Fire element, right? So leave me to take care of 'em."

"Wooo, someone's showing off," Fang comments with a grin.

"No way, Fang. I'm just being efficient here," Sazh replies.

But actually, secretly… yes, he wants to show off. Hey, these two kids have been showing off the results of their training so much lately; Sazh can't help but wanting to match them for once. Because he, too, has improved his Cold Blood.

Without wasting any more time, Sazh turns his Boxed Phalanx around to face the Pantherons. Some of them pounce at him, but most are still charging towards Hope and Vanille. Doesn't matter. He's gonna fry all of them.

"This is gonna sting!" Sazh warns as he unleashes Cold Blood, shooting his guns rapidly—at the sky.

Snow groans upon seeing the bullets shoot right above the Pantherons, doing them no harm. "Whoa, Sazh, you missed! How could you miss?! Those Pantherons were less than three meters—"

However, his comment is cut short when he sees the bullets start plummeting back from the sky, towards the Pantherons—and they're not bullets anymore. Each of them has turned into a meteor-like inferno!

BAM! BAM! BAM!

With solid explosions, the meteor-bullets hit the yelping Pantherons, destroying them immediately. Those that hit the ground spread like wildfire, engulfing the fleeing monsters in blazing tongues of flames.

Within seconds, the Pantherons have been turned to a pile of charred, scorched metals. And all around them, big craters are left on the ground where the 'meteors' fell, shrouded in billowing smoke.

For coolness' sake, Sazh blows a thin wisp of smoke from the muzzle of his gun.

* * *

><p>"…Wow."<p>

"Is that all you can say, Snow? 'Wow'?" Sazh protests, as he thrusts his guns back into their holsters. "Gee, I believe I deserve at least an applause—that attack makes my back hurt."

Fang laughs upon hearing this. She casually pokes the charred remains of a Pantheron with her lance. "Not bad, old man. You combined those bullets with Firaga, didn't you?"

Sazh grumbles. "Yes."

"Not bad, not bad!" Snow laughs too, patting Sazh's back. With the surrounding Pantherons gone, now there's nothing to stop them from reaching Hope and Vanille.

Fang wastes no more time—she shouts to Vanille.

"Oi, 'Nille! Get yourself and Hope here; leave your monsters behind! They'll distract the biggest enemies from us!"

Vanille turns the moment she hears Fang's voice, and complies immediately. With a grin, she runs along her Adamantoise's back and slides down to the ground from its tail. Hope hops off his Juggernaut—then, together they run through the charred ground towards the rest of their friends.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sazh! That was a cool attack you unleashed!" Vanille squeals as Fang helps her climb onto her Megistotherian's back. Similarly, Snow is helping Hope onto the Boxed Phalanx as well.<p>

"Yeah, it was powerful! Burnt all those Pantherons in an instant!" the boy adds.

"Gee, thanks. I'm getting more recognition from these kids," Sazh chuckles.

"So, now that we're together—"

"The l'Cie are all there! Get 'em!"

That shout draws their attention back to the army. The brief respite provided by Sazh's last attack is over—enemies are charging towards them again. And this time, it's the human soldiers.

Fang sighs. "Time to hold back, now, huh?"

"That's right, Fang. Minimize the damage, like I said."

"I hate holding back."

"Come to think of it, you _can't. _Snow's not the type to hold back, either… and as for me, how to hold back with a gun?" Sazh muses aloud.

"Yeah, that's right. So maybe we should—"

However, before Snow can complete his sentence… Hope and Vanille have unleashed their attacks.

"Try this one for size!" Hope shouts.

And right there, he unleashes an Aeroga and a Thundaga spell simultaneously. The two spells merge, forming a whirlwind of thunder, which immediately sweeps through the soldiers before it. Screams join the thunders' crackling, as the soldiers get electrocuted and drop limply, unconscious.

Vanille does not remain idle, either. With a squeal, she turns to release her attack into the surging sea of soldiers.

"Time to go to sleep!"

With that, a menacing greenish mist dawns upon the soldiers, blocking their visions and stunning them. They have no time to realize the peril they are in—in less than ten seconds after inhaling the mist, they choke and gurgle and fall like empty sacks.

Sazh and Snow gape, for this is the first time they see such a large-scale Poison spell. And a very powerful one at that, too. Usually Poison only affects one enemy, even Poisonga can only affect a maximum of four… but this one… whoa, little Vanille can force a whole city to evacuate if she wants to.

And young Hope isn't to be forgotten too. That thunder whirlwind… whirlthunder… whatever, has cleaned an entire troop as well. Lightning would be intrigued—her Wrath of Heavens might be getting a competitor.

"…..."

For a few seconds, Sazh, Snow and Fang can only stare. However, soon enough Fang start laughing again.

"Whoa, good job, little ones! Those soldiers have just begun attacking yet you sweep 'em all off!"

Hope smiles back. "Been waiting to try out that technique."

"See, we're more useful than you bunch of complainers," Vanille giggles.

However, a sudden reverberation in the ground snaps the l'Cie back into focus. Before long, the reverberation turns into trembling, producing a heavy sound that echoes throughout the area. They look around in confusion, unable to find the source.

"What's happening?"

"Why's the ground trembling?"

"Get a grip, don't fall off now!"

"What's—"

However, the l'Cie soon get the answer they search for.

With an eerie bellow, a huge, silver fal'Cie suddenly emerges from the bottom of the ravine. On his back is a pair of massive seraph-like wings—sunlight reflects brilliantly from their golden feathers even as their every beat causes the ground to tremble. His face breaks into a furious grin, as his claws flex in anticipation of bloodshed.

Barthandelus has emerged.

* * *

><p>Fang is the first one to get over the surprise of Barthandelus' emergence. She draws her lance out immediately, hopping off her Megistotherian at the same time.<p>

"Finally you deign to appear, decrepit fal'Cie! Your army posed no challenge to us!" she yells.

The others alight from the Pulsian monsters and draw their weapons too, aiming straight at their nemesis. The Boxed Phalanx and Megistotherian dash off, joining the other monsters in fighting the remaining enemies. Meanwhile, Barthandelus pays them no regard—his blank eyes are scanning the battlefield, where most of his army are indeed down. The remaining ones are busy fighting the Pulsian monsters somewhere further, but without showing any sign of winning. One by one, they fall.

Conversely, the l'Cie seem unhurt at all. They are not even out of breath—another proof of the uselessness of his army.

The great fal'Cie trembles with rage—he roars furiously at the l'Cie before him, all the pain and humiliation fills his mind with hatred and vengeance.

Forget the army—they're useless. Forget the citizens—they are just cowering fools. He can always annihilate them all later. But right here, right now, all he wants is to tear these l'Cie to bloody shreds, making them pay for every suffering they've brought onto him...

"YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR SINS, L'CIE!"

With that, Barthandelus attacks.

* * *

><p>"Gah! Watch out!"<p>

The moment Barthandelus roars, the l'Cie know that he's attacking. Without further ado, each of them conjures Protect and Shell to face his upcoming attack. At the same time, Snow and Fang adopt Steelguard as well.

They were expecting Baptism in Ruin—but they are wrong.

Barthandelus beats his massive wings rapidly; and with each beat, several of their golden feathers shoot out like a barrage of bullets straight at the l'Cie.

Fang curses as she swiftly raises her lance to block the attack. The fal'Cie has gotten stronger as well—none of his previous forms has had wings like this one. And these feathers—they aren't even feathers! Feathers don't have razor-sharp edges like these. They're not hard like diamonds. And they are certainly not half a meter long! These 'feathers' are much better off being called daggers.

But what makes these dagger-feathers more alarming is the fact that they are only slightly hindered by the Protect spells. While Protect usually makes any physical attack completely bounce away, now they merely deflect the feathers. This catches the l'Cie off guard—while Fang managed to block the deflected feathers with her lance on time, the rest of her friends aren't quick enough. Grunts of pain fill the air as some of the feathers cut through their flesh.

Fang grits her teeth angrily as she looks up and sees Barthandelus unleashing another attack. Another barrage of those knife-like feathers overwhelms the l'Cie, forcing them to adopt whatever defense they have.

"I'll shred all of you without remains!"

Another barrage.

_We can't continue like this! _Fang thinks angrily as she struggles to block off the sharp projectiles.

Trouble is, the l'Cie's movements are restricted. They have the remaining bioweapons and war machines behind them—and although those are currently busy fighting the Pulsian monsters, but they might still attack the l'Cie if they retreat too far.

Yet if they don't have enough space to maneuver like this… sooner or later, Barthandelus could kill them using his damned feathers alone. Fang growls at this thought.

_Time for a stage change._

The moment she sees a brief lull in Barthandelus' attack—that is, when he raises his wings—Fang summons out Bahamut's Eidolith, and breaks it with a quick jab of her lance.

"Bahamut!"

Barthandelus pauses, looking at the sky in surprise. However, it is too late for him to do anything.

From amidst the clouds, the dark dragon appears, roaring menacingly. Immediately it unleashes Mega Flare at the stunned fal'Cie. However, Fang curses as she sees Barthandelus manages to shield himself with his wings. Never mind that—for now, they've gotta move!

"Bahamut, get here!"

Swiftly, Bahamut flies over to Fang, who jumps onto his back while dragging Vanille along.

"The rest of you, hop on! We're changing stage!"

Her friends do not need further prompting. They leap onto Bahamut's back as well, gripping his scales tightly as he shoots forward. Behind them, Barthandelus has recovered—he howls angrily and flies in pursuit.

"Dammit, that old fal'Cie can fly now! Fang, he's catching up!" Sazh shouts.

"I know! Now shut up, I need to concentrate!"

Above the grassland, along the ravine, Bahamut flies. He flaps his wings rapidly, flying at top speed—all while dodging Barthandelus' attacks. The fal'Cie is shooting Ruin spells at them now, as his wings beat heavily in their effort to keep up with Bahamut.

"Whoa!"

A Ruinga spell explodes directly beside Bahamut—he plummets to the ground for a second, before regaining his bearings. Another chain of Ruin spells force Bahamut to fly in zig-zag fashion, while the l'Cie cling desperately to his back in their effort not to fall off.

The ground swooshes past below them, leaving the army far behind.

"Fang, we can't hang on any longer! We've gotta land soon!" Snow shouts amidst the howling wind.

"I'm trying! That damned fal'Cie won't let us even fly straight!" Fang grunts as she struggles to control Bahamut. She's right, the barrage of Ruin that Barthandelus relentlessly cast has practically jostled the dragon in all direction even as he flies.

"Argh!"

Another Ruinga explodes—and this time, it hits Bahamut's right wing. He plunges to the ground uncontrollably.

"Fang, look out! Ravine right below us, we're gonna fall into it!" Hope shouts.

"Bahamut, hang on! Just get us over the ravine!" Fang shouts to her Eidolon, while all the other l'Cie stare wide-eyed at the fast-approaching mouth of the ravine below them—

Luckily, right there Bahamut manages to flap his left wing again. Barely a meter away from the jutting rocks of the ravine, he rises and soars over them unharmed. However, this doesn't last long—a few seconds later, his left wing gives out as well and he tumbles to the ground, along with the l'Cie on his back. The moment his injured body hits the ground, the Eidolon disappears—but not before unleashing his last attack of vengeance at Barthandelus—Slowga.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…"<p>

Slowly, Fang rises to her feet. Around her, the others are doing the same—holding their heads and checking for any broken bones. Luckily, none seems to be injured apart from some bruises.

However, soon the peril they're facing weighs down upon them as Barthandelus roars. Bahamut's Slowga has hit him off-guard, for he hadn't expected that attack from a fading Eidolon. Now he is suspended mid-air, writhing to break free from the spell and pounce at the straggling l'Cie on the ground.

Fang straightens up, wincing slightly when pain shoots up her leg. She quickly assesses the situation and their current location.

Not really good.

They have indeed crossed the ravine and flown a significant distance away from the army, and hence facing no more threat from them—but the bad thing is…

They have flown a little too close to Palumpolum for her liking. The city's outermost buildings are now looming less than a mile away, with its citizens inside… those clueless people who wish to see them dead.

Fang growls. But then again, she can't be picky now. At least this grassland has enough space for them to fight without restraint. Moreover, it is unlikely that those weakling citizens would leave the safety of their homes and attack the big bad l'Cie.

_If only those fools can see what their 'Primarch' is planning for them! _Fang curses inwardly. _I can never understand how anyone can revere this malicious fal'Cie._

However, right then Barthandelus breaks free from the Slowga spell. With a roar, he plunges to the ground and lands with a resounding boom. His cold, murderous eyes flick at the l'Cie.

"Time to finish all of you."

Fang grits her teeth. Slowly but surely, that unpleasant feeling is creeping into her… that feeling of facing a far-stronger opponent. Less than ten minutes ago, when she was fighting the PSICOM, she has felt an exhilarating confidence. Her every attack brought down tens of enemies, while none of their attacks hurt her. She was much stronger than them. But now, facing Barthandelus… she doesn't feel that much confidence anymore.

But she can't back down. Not now, when their lives are on the line. With a defiant growl, Fang grips her lance tighter, readying to fight. Around her, Vanille and the others do the same—despite fear begins to tug at their hearts as well.

_Dammit, Lightning, you'd better get here fast..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: EXAM'S OVER! OMG I can't believe today finally arrives. After one whole year of preparing for those O Levels, now it's all over. Thanks A LOT for the well wishes, guys :,) I think I've done well, at least all the test questions seem okay to me xD Alright, so, now I have so much free time. I'll update faster :P and yeah, probably reply to your awesome reviews as well. Thanks again, I really appreciate them.

Erifrats101, thanks for the kind words! :D I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, I sure as hell enjoy writing it too. Fluffy~ :3 And yep, I'm seriously considering your suggestion :P maybe I'll do it, after completing this fic :)


	44. Chapter 44

The Cocoon citizens are anxious. They have been watching the war's progress from the watch-beacons' broadcast, yet suddenly the broadcast stops. Undoubtedly, the l'Cie have destroyed all beacons as they fight the PSICOM army.

The initial reaction was panic; people always fear things they can't see. Every citizen waits anxiously in their homes for the screen to come back to life. Yet, for a good half hour nothing shows up but erratic static.

However, as the people's apprehension is nearing its zenith… suddenly the screen flickers back to life. The citizens stare at the screen, expecting some kind of image to appear—but none comes.

No image appears; only sounds. It seems one of the watch-beacons is still functioning, despite damaged. Now it can only broadcast sounds to the anxious citizens, sounds of explosions and shouts from the battlefield.

But it's better than nothing. The people somewhat calmed down—listening to the sounds of the battle, trying to figure out what's happening beyond their city. But despite this mounting agitation, the people still obey their Primarch's order to stay at their homes.

Although… silently they begin to wonder about the wisdom of the Primarch's decision to not evacuate them.

What's actually happening out there? Has the Primarch joined the battle? He should be; judging from the destruction of the watch-beacons, the PSICOM must be facing trouble with the l'Cie. Will His Eminence be able to subdue the l'Cie?

What will become of Cocoon?

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the battle against Barthandelus is raging.<p>

"Look out!"

"Agh!"

"Damn!"

Pained grunts and curses fill the air, as all the l'Cie tumble on the ground. They have been, once again, thrown aback by Barthandelus' mighty wings. By now all of them are covered in cuts from the sharp feathers; yet Barthandelus is still unscathed.

Fang rolls back to her knees, cursing under her breath. All this time, she's sure that her attacks have hit Barthandelus square. She even unleashed two Highwinds, each hitting him right on the body. Yet they don't seem to hurt him at all. Not even a scratch is left on his thick skin.

Meanwhile, all the other l'Cie climb back to their feet laboriously. Hope and Vanille struggle to heal everyone, while Sazh hurriedly renews their buffs. Snow, as Sentinel, has suffered the worst of the damage. Provoke doesn't affect Barthandelus, but he still attacks Snow. Looks like he wants to get rid of the strongest Sentinels first.

That being said, his attacks are powerful and mostly area-based. Each beat of his massive wings scatter sharp feathers at the l'Cie, forcing them to be constantly defensive. Snow got hit directly by the right wing once, and his chest immediately got covered in blood as the feathers tore his flesh.

Fang grits her teeth. Things are really looking bad now… Even with their higher number, they can barely keep up with Barthandelus. If this continues…

No, she won't think about that.

Barthandelus' eerie laughter echoes from the ravines.

"Give it up, l'Cie! You can NEVER defeat me, the mighty fal'Cie!"

Fang growls. She glances sidelong at her friends, and grudgingly admits that they are really in a bad shape.

Vanille and Hope are exhausted; they've been healing everyone nonstop since the battle started. Snow is battered up, Sazh is drained—while she herself got her leg injured. Fang tries putting weight on her right leg, but her breath hitches as pain shoots up to her thigh. The huntress clenches her teeth. Ever since their emergency landing from Bahamut, her leg has been throbbing. She could ignore it easily at first, but after unleashing Highwinds the pain has intensified. Now she can barely run.

While Barthandelus is still undamaged.

"Succumb, l'Cie!"

That roar gives Fang two seconds to throw herself sideways before a Ruinga hits the ground where she was standing. The resulting explosion sends her tumbling on the ground, only to aggravate her leg injury further. Around her, the others land heavily from the explosion as well.

_We can't continue like this._

Fang curses. This is useless. Their attacks don't even leave a mark on Barthandelus, while his attacks send them staggering and tumbling. Especially those attacks from his wings… They can reach a wide area, causing damage to all of them with a single strike.

If the battle continues like this… somehow, Fang doubts they would last until nightfall. The huntress frowns. She has never, never backed down from a fight before. Doing so hurts her pride.

However, right then Barthandelus beats his wings again, stopping Fang's musing. The l'Cie cannot run; there is no time to even turn away. Everyone hurriedly raises their weapons in their attempt to block off the incoming feathers—yet a few still find their way into flesh.

Vanille's pained cries reach Fang.

_Enough. _

To hell with pride; right now, if she doesn't do something, everyone would be slashed to death soon.

"Everyone, scatter!" Fang shouts as loudly as she can, while dodging the next barrage of Ruin spells from Barthandelus' claws.

"What? If we scatter, we can't back each other up, Fang!" Snow protests, while Vanille, Hope and Sazh stare at her in puzzlement.

"Stop arguing and scatter! If we cluster together, our movement would be limited and those damn feathers would be able to hit us all!"

Snow stops protesting as another Ruinga explodes in their midst. As he lands hard on the ground, he realizes Fang's right. Because they've been clustering together, that single Ruinga managed to damage all of them.

"Split up, NOW!"

They don't need further encouragement. Before Barthandelus' next Ruinga can hit them again, the l'Cie have scattered in different directions.

* * *

><p><em>Piteous creatures.<em>

Barthandelus smirks as he watches the l'Cie split up before him. They dash in different directions, in the frail hope that he wouldn't be able to damage them all at once. Reasonable move, really, but useless all the same. At the end, he would still kill them all.

But for now…

Barthandelus dashes forward as well, wings flapping to increase his speed. In a moment, he is already right behind Fang.

The great fal'Cie smirks in cruel satisfaction as the Pulsian huntress unleashes a Firaga to slow him down. Useless. The spell explodes right on his face, but without hurting him at all. He watches in malicious amusement as Fang tries to outrun him with her injured leg.

"You're no different from a toothless hound right now, Oerba Yun Fang."

Fang looks up, cursing when she sees Barthandelus has caught up easily with her. To make matters worse, what he said is true. Fang's injured leg is throbbing furiously now with each step she takes, forcing her to grit her teeth in pain. Yet she can't stop running; unless she wants to get crushed to death in Barthandelus' claws.

But now, those claws are falling upon her.

Fang raises her lance, preparing to defend—

"Gah!"

—When Barthandelus suddenly stops moving.

Fang stares, stunned, as the claws stop merely a meter away from her. The fal'Cie has stopped moving entirely, despite his body is shaking.

"Fang, run!"

That distressed call from Vanille snaps Fang back from her puzzlement, as she realizes that it was her friend who unleashed that very strong Stopga on Barthandelus. Knowing she only has very little time, the huntress dashes towards the others. If there is one thing this proves… it is that Barthandelus' prowess far surpasses theirs. He caught up with her quickly, his attacks cause heavy damage, yet their attacks are futile… in this kind of situation, there is only one thing they can do.

"Guys, run! We can't defeat him like this; we've gotta wait until Lightning get here! Without Fafnir, our attacks are useless!"

Vanille and the others are taken aback by Fang's unusual command; but soon they realize she's right. Without wasting any more time, they sprint frantically away from the paralyzed Barthandelus.

Unfortunately, before the l'Cie can get away, the fal'Cie breaks free from his bond.

He roars. "You can't escape me, l'Cie!"

The great wings flap; Barthandelus chases the l'Cie.

Fang curses. He'd catch up with them soon—

However, suddenly Sazh stops running. He turns to face the fast-approaching Barthandelus instead, his guns raised.

"Old man! What're you doing?!"

"Run ahead, kids!" Sazh shouts back, not even taking his gaze off the incoming fal'Cie. "I'll slow this creep down."

Vanille turns around, shock in her eyes. "No way, Sazh! C'mon, we've got to get away—"

But then Sazh shouts again angrily. "_Run! _Don't make this futile! I'll catch up, don't worry!"

Vanille still hesitates; she slows down. However, Hope quickly grabs and drags her to start running again.

"Vanille, come on! Sazh's made up his mind; we'll just make his effort futile if we stay!"

"But—"

"_Come on!"_

Vanille has no choice; Fang has grabbed her hand as well and forced her to run.

A few meters back, Sazh stands still despite the menacing approach of the fal'Cie.

"I've got these guns… better make them useful. After all, a dad should be the one protecting the kids."

With that, he gathers all his remaining energy and unleashes his meteor-like Cold Blood onto Barthandelus. The fal'Cie's eyes widen as he sees the meteor-bullets falling onto him; yet he has no time to dodge. His roars fill the air as the meteors make contact.

* * *

><p>Vanille and the remaining l'Cie are dashing across the grassland, when they hear Sazh's attack. They turn right to see Barthandelus gets engulfed in flames, roaring and slashing his claws blindly.<p>

"Continue running!" Snow warns, snapping the others back to their attempt to get as far away from the fal'Cie as possible. "Sazh should catch up soon—"

However, that hope is torn asunder when Barthandelus suddenly leaps away from the raging fire, landing heavily on the grass. His eyes shine murderously, his body smoking—before he swings his massive arm at Sazh.

Sazh actually has a few seconds to flee after he unleashed his meteor-bullets. Yet the attack has sapped a great deal of his energy. He can barely run, as his legs tremble heavily and his breaths become shallow. The old gunner tries to get away, but before he can even move—

WHAM!

Barthandelus' arm hits him square on the torso, sending him flying towards a large rock.

"Agh!"

"Nooo! Sazh!"

Vanille screams as she watches Sazh's body hit the solid rock before falling back to the ground. There he lies still, his body limp—blood pours out from his head.

"Fang, we've got to get him, or else Barthandelus will…!"

However, Barthandelus doesn't attack Sazh. Without throwing the fallen gunner a single glance, the fal'Cie roars again and dashes after the other l'Cie.

"Dammit, he's coming for us! Run!"

"But Sazh—"

"There's nothing we can do for him now, Vanille!" Fang shouts back sternly. "If you want to save him, then save yourself first and beat this damn fal'Cie! Then you can heal him!"

Vanille falls quiet upon hearing this. Her hands still tremble, but she resolutely forces herself to run faster to escape from Barthandelus. After all, Sazh has inflicted quite a damage on the fal'Cie. His wings seem to be injured; he no longer flaps them to increase his speed. As such, the fal'Cie chases after them more slowly now.

Upon seeing the l'Cie's forms getting further, Barthandelus roars in fury. He unleashes… Baptism in Ruin.

Hope hears the attack comes, and warns the others just on time.

"Guys, dodge!"

The l'Cie jump and roll away, as the numerous Ruin spells hit their midst. They barely recover, when the next attack comes— Tharnatosian Laughter.

_We can't get away fast enough, _Hope thinks as he sees the attack incoming. He makes his decision fast—and unleashes Aeroga just a second before the attack hits them.

"Whoa!"

Fang and the others shout in surprise, when Hope's Aeroga lifts them all to the air and thus, out of Barthandelus' attack's way. Their first thought is relief—but it quickly disappears as they start falling to the ground.

BAM!

"Ugh!"

"Oof!"

The l"Cie drop from the sky like dead birds as the Aeroga disperses; but luckily still with life in them thanks to their Protect spells. However, with Sazh gone, no-one is left to renew the spells as they wane as well.

Fang groans, forcing herself to get up. Her vision blurs a little—but when it clears, the huntress lets out a curse.

For the l'Cie have landed merely a few meters away from Palumpolum, on a small hill overlooking the rear sector of the city.

They're so close; Fang can even see the advertisement boards hanging on the tall buildings ahead. Fortunately, she doesn't see any citizens loitering around. Probably they're hiding in their homes. She'll just pray to Lady Luck that no overzealous citizen would attack them and cause more trouble than what already presents.

Because even though Hope's Aeroga has spared them from Barthandelus' Tharnatosian Laughter, it still causes them to suffer countless bruises. Fang winces as her leg throbs torturously. She's never been good as a Medic… but right now, she can't depend on Vanille and Hope. They've unleashed too much magic, their faces are pale. Grunting, the huntress casts Cure for herself. It isn't much help, but at least she can move her leg again. Around her, Snow and the others have stood up as well.

However, right then Barthandelus' patience runs out.

"Enough running around, l'Cie! Time to eradicate you!" he roars. No longer is he chasing them; right now, the massive fal'Cie stands still in the middle of the grassland, his wings spread menacingly behind him.

"What…"

The l'Cie stare in disbelief as countless Ruin spells form at the tip of every feather on those wings. However, the spells do not shoot out towards them—yet. Instead, they grow bigger and bigger…

And that's when Barthandelus opens his mouth, revealing a small but dense cluster of darkness within it. As the l'Cie watch, the cluster coils and throbs, growing bigger with each passing second. The Ruin spells on his wings begin to shoot into the cluster one by one, causing it to grow even bigger. Such a highly-condensed, massive energy… if it hits them, there won't be anything left to bury.

"Run!"

The l'Cie do not need further prompting. Upon hearing that shout from Fang, all of them run feverishly, trying to get away from the brewing attack. If there's one advantage they have in this situation, it's speed. That attack seems to be very powerful, indeed, but slow. The Ruin spells on Barthandelus' wings are still slowly merging with the darkness, one by one. The l'Cie still have some time to get away—judging from the Ruin spells' rate of merging, the attack still needs a few more minutes before it's ready for unleashing.

They have to run as far away as possible, for that attack is surely able to reach a wide radius.

However, that is when Vanille suddenly realizes something. She glances backwards at Barthandelus, who's still crouching firmly with his dark magic pulsating in his mouth. Then… she looks at the direction where the attack would be shot.

The redhead blanches.

Immediately, Vanille dashes faster to catch up with Fang. Snow and Hope have run ahead; she can't catch up with them.

"Fang, Fang! Wait!"

"Vanille, don't stop running! What are you—"

"_Look!"_

Fang follows Vanille's gaze, to the area right in front of Barthandelus. It's the small hill where they previously stood, an area that would surely be destroyed once that dark magic is unleashed. Directly behind that hill, is…

Palumpolum.

Fang's eyes widen as she understands what it means. At this distance… the rear sector would surely be destroyed the moment that massive darkness explodes. There's no way they can stop the attack now. It will obliterate the citizens there. Fang doesn't even want to know the exact number of inhabitants, knowing it would certainly be more than a hundred—despite it is merely the rear sector of the entire Palumpolum.

But hundreds of lives, lost in the hand of a fal'Cie they revere…

Fang growls. So what if those foolish people die?! They wish death upon her and her friends, after all. If they die because of their blindness, their refusal to see the Primarch's true identity… then it's none of her responsibility. She won't risk her life, nor Vanille's and everyone else's, just to save those people who hate them.

The Pulsian huntress glares at Vanille. She can guess damn well what her red-haired friend is thinking.

_Not if you'll die instead, Vanille. I won't let that happen._

"Vanille, snap out of it! Leave them be; I won't let you risk your life trying to protect fal'Cie servants!" Fang shouts, grabbing Vanille's arm and drags her away. However, the redhead frowns and pulls her hand free from her grip.

"But, Fang! All those people—they're innocent! They have nothing to do with this war!"

"Innocent, huh?" Fang growls, anger emanating from her. "They are _not! _They want to kill us, Vanille, if we try to save them they'll just attack us! What makes you think they'll believe our warning this time?"

"But we have to at least try! Come on, Fang, there's still time…"

Fang roars in frustration. Barthandelus is preparing to unleash his biggest attack, and Vanille decides it's a good time to argue? They should be running!

"Vanille, we can't risk our lives for them!" Fang finally snaps. "If we die here, then Barthandelus would still reign supreme; and everything we've done so far will be for naught! I know it's hard to lose these many lives—but sometimes, you've got to CHOOSE!"

Fang breathes heavily upon her outburst, glaring at Vanille. She doesn't care even if the entire Cocoon is destroyed; she won't care even one bit.

_Cocoon and Pulse can perish for all I care—but not you. I just… can't lose you for their sake._

At this, Vanille falls quiet. But still, her gaze is fixed on the town of Palumpolum.

Then, softly, the redhead speaks.

"If… Lightning is here… what do you think she would do, Fang?"

Those words render Fang speechless for a few seconds. Because… she knows exactly what Lightning would do. That foolhardy, selfless stubborn-head… she'd stick her neck out to help those people.

* * *

><p>Lightning is the annoying type. She is selfless to the point that she'd put others' safety before hers. Yet she also has a high sense of self-preservation. She doesn't die easy—probably it's because she's determined to stay by Serah's side to protect her. The result of these paradoxical qualities? Well, she becomes a survivor. Someone who protects others, yet keeps surviving. Someone who simply refuses to die, despite her tendency to leap straight into harm's way to save those she cares about.<p>

However, Fang shakes her head angrily. No, that's Lightning; not her. She's different… she only wants to save Vanille. To hell with Cocoon or Pulse.

Besides… Lightning's not here. If she is… _probably_ Fang would help her trying to save the citizens. That woman always finds a way to keep herself and everyone else alive. But without her…

"Lightning's not here," Fang finally says through clenched teeth. "She's not here, and I won't risk losing you, Vanille. Not for these… vipers."

"..."

Fang grabs Vanille's arm. "Come on, let's run! We've still got a few more minutes before that attack—"

"Fang... this is exactly the same as last time, isn't it?"

Fang stops dead in her track. She turns around, right to see tears flowing from the redhead's eyes.

"Vanille… what…"

The little redhead smiles, wiping the tears from her cheeks. But they still fall.

"You know… five hundred years ago. The War of Transgression."

Fang gapes; she can't believe Vanille would bring up their dark past now.

"What are you—"

"Yes, this is exactly the same. Back then, we were also in Cocoon… ready to turn into Ragnarok." Vanille clasps her hands together, looking up at the sky. "We broke through Cocoon's shell…"

By now, the energy gathering in Barthandelus' mouth has caused the ground around him to tremble, as if an earthquake is raging. However, Fang barely notices it. She stands still, unable to move.

"That was when I saw the cities, Fang. We were so high up… we could see every town. We saw the citizens, going around… so many of them." Vanille pauses.

"You wanted to protect me from the 'vipers,' Fang. That was why you volunteered to Anima to become l'Cie… I knew that, although you've never told me. I knew you only wanted to protect me... and I thank you. I felt the same for you, Fang, that's why I joined you as l'Cie in the War. And that's why I agreed to become Ragnarok with you."

Vanille smiles sadly. She reaches out to hold Fang's calloused hand, feeling the scars on it. "But I couldn't do it. I grew hesitant in the last minute; when I saw all those people."

"I mean, try looking at them, Fang. Do you think those many people are all vipers? Do you think all of them are evil? It can't be." The redhead shakes her head, before continuing.

"In fact, they are all innocent—just like us l'Cie. Barthandelus only manipulates us, setting us up against one another. We're just puppets to him; puppets to fulfill his wish. We're actually the same, Fang. They too, have friends, families… precious people they want to protect. I had this same realization back then in the War… and that was the reason I couldn't turn into Ragnarok with you. I don't want to become a monster like the fal'Cie… killing innocents."

"..."

Fang keeps silent. However, she's actually struggling to remember the details of that War of Transgression. She can't recall much… only flashes of images, of bright lights from magic attacks and explosions. They form a hazy series of events, blurry and unrecognizable. But one thing she remembers clearly…

The undeniable feeling of _guilt,_ even as she turned into an incomplete Ragnarok and her mind went berserk.

Vanille's right… this is exactly the same as that time. Difference being… now she is here to save_, _not to destroy. Because… damn, because those people _are_ merely Barthandelus' slaves. She should've known better than killing slaves; if there's someone she has to kill, it's the mastermind. Barthandelus. The slaves are… innocent. They shouldn't have to die.

After all, they all get stuck in this situation because of her actions five hundred years ago. They have all the rights to hate her, especially… Lightning.

But what did Lightning say?

"_I have no reason to hate you for things you did in the past, Fang. You were just trying to protect your family… can't blame you for that. At least now you are not doing anything wrong. That's all that matters."_

Fang smirks silently.

Right… she's promised herself to atone for her past mistakes. For Lightning, who's accepted her despite all she's done… and… for Vanille.

That means, she's gotta do something now. At the very least, she will try to save as many people in that stupid Palumpolum town—_and _protect Vanille at the same time. Time to be greedy.

_Ha. Protecting, yet surviving… such a greedy wish. But if Lightning can keep pulling it off, there's no way I can't._

Fang looks up, locking her gaze with Vanille's. She gives her a faint smile.

"Thanks, Vanille. You just saved me from taking the wrong choice… again. Now let's move! We've got a city to save, yea!"

With her usual cheeky grin, the huntress grabs Vanille's arm and dashes towards Snow and Hope. The redhead beams, her tears forgotten.

"No… thank _you, _Fang."

* * *

><p>"Fang! Vanille! Hurry!"<p>

Snow is waving urgently at them from a few meters ahead, a very pale Hope beside him. That big oaf has an expression of worry, one Fang doesn't see often.

The moment Fang and Vanille reach them, Snow starts pointing at Palumpolum.

"Look, look! I just realized something! If Barthandelus unleashes his attack—"

"—It would destroy Palumpolum, yeah," Fang continues hastily. "We already know that! That's why, we've gotta hurry, right? Let's go!"

With that, Fang dashes towards the city, Vanille following closely. Snow and Hope are stunned for a while; they were expecting Fang to disagree with their wish to protect the town. But they too, hurriedly dash after the two Pulsians towards Palumpolum.

Meanwhile, the earthquake caused by Barthandelus' brewing attack has intensified, making it difficult for the l'Cie to run steadily. As they dash past Barthandelus, suddenly something happens to the cloister of darkness that brews in his mouth.

The cloister pulsates and throbs, dark vines protruding randomly from its surface. Then suddenly, without warning, the entire cloister shoots forward leaving Barthandelus' mouth. The l'Cie are alarmed, thinking that the attack is being unleashed faster than they predicted—but luckily, it isn't.

Slowly, the cloister of darkness makes its way to the center of Barthandelus' raised wings. It rests there, pulsating again, as the remaining half of Ruin spells merge into it.

"We've still got time! Hurry, Palumpolum's right in front—"

"L'CIE!"

That roar snaps their attention back to Barthandelus. The great fal'Cie's body trembles as the cloister of darkness grows bigger, but his eyes still shine with maliciously.

"Just stop right there, l'Cie! You won't be able to withstand this attack! All of you… shall die along with Cocoon!"

With that, the fal'Cie laughs fiercely. His wings quiver; the Ruin spells are still slowly merging with the dark magic.

Snow grits his teeth angrily upon hearing this; he stops running and faces Barthandelus.

"You're the one who must stop, old creep! How can you do this?! Those people have nothing to do with this war! You can't just kill them off!"

Barthandelus laughs louder. "Nothing? That's where you're wrong, l'Cie! They are _everything _in this war. I want them DEAD! That's the entire reason for this war! Once I kill all of you l'Cie, nothing else can stop me from eradicating the entire Cocoon. Then the Makers… shall return to cleanse this rotting world!"

"You—!"

"Snow, cut it off! It's useless to argue with him; right now we've gotta move! Palumpolum…" Hope struggles to drag Snow away. Luckily, Fang comes to his aid.

"Move it, Snow! If you want to be a hero, than stop bickering and start rescuing!" The huntress roars, dragging Snow away from Barthandelus. "Control your temper, dammit! If Lightning's here, she would've kicked you to move!"

Snow still scowls furiously at the laughing Barthandelus, but at least he's started to run towards Palumpolum again. However, beside him, Fang is wondering.

_Where the hell are you, Lightning?! Why haven't you arrived? We need you, dammit! _

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in Palumpolum… the citizens are panicking.<p>

For they have all heard what the Primarch said, through that last half-functioning watch-beacon.

Despite that, they are all still confused. They can't believe their Primarch really wants to kill them all. There's gotta be something; probably the watch-beacon malfunctioned? Or have the l'Cie manipulated it? The Primarch can't be…

This disbelief causes the citizens to break into a confused panic; they run out of their homes, unsure whether to evacuate or stay in the town. Screams fill the streets, as people run amok aimlessly—driven by fear and denial.

* * *

><p>"Hey guys… you all realize that we might get killed if our defense fails, right?"<p>

"Quit it, wise guy. No need to voice it out; we all know."

"Yeah, well… just wanted to make sure."

"I assure you, only idiots wouldn't know that."

"Whoa, so you're saying I'm not an idiot, then? That's a first." With that, Snow grins at Fang, who's standing beside him. The huntress simply rolls her eyes.

"Just focus, Mr. 'Hero.' Make sure… your Eidolon's doing the job right."

Snow chuckles. "Don't worry 'bout that. The Shiva sisters are doing their best."

Snow folds his arms, looking up at his Eidolons—Nix and Stiria—who are conjuring a massive wall of ice between Palumpolum and Barthandelus. The wall looks extremely thick, but… he's still not hundred percent sure that it would hold against Barthandelus' attack.

Which will be unleashed soon, judging from the heavy trembling of the ground. Even from this distance, the l'Cie can clearly see the cloister of darkness forming between Barthandelus' wings. It has gotten significantly larger and more erratic—black thorns randomly form and disappear on its rough surface. Only a few more Ruin spells are left on the wings; soon they would merge with the darkness as well. With each Ruin spell that merges, the trembling of the ground intensifies.

Meanwhile, Stiria and Nix finally finish conjuring their ice wall. The defensive ice now spreads along the entire stretch of Palumpolum, ready to absorb the damage from Barthandelus' attack. It glitters brightly under the noon sun, but doesn't melt at all. Upon the wall's completion, the Shiva sisters disappear.

Now it's Hope's turn.

"Alexander!"

Immediately the massive Eidolon explodes into existence beside his master, flexing his bulky arms. He bows down to Hope, ready to receive his orders.

"Alexander… stand guard. We need you to defend against Barthandelus' attack. Please be our steadfast guardian; his attack will be very strong."

Without much ado, the looming Eidolon follows his order. He walks slowly to the front part of Shiva's ice wall and spreads his arms defensively. Ready to protect the town.

Hope turns to Fang and Vanille. "Now that that's settled… Snow and I will strengthen Shiva's wall with Protect spells. You two better go and warn the townspeople… as many as possible."

Fang nods. Bahamut cannot be summoned anymore, while Vanille's Hecatoncheir isn't suitable for defense.

"Alright, kid... good luck. You too, Snow," Fang nods to both of them. Silently, she starts to feel apprehensive. What they're about to do is madness itself. That attack of Barthandelus is already causing heavy earthquakes, before it's even fully formed! Once it's unleashed… the huntress doesn't want to imagine how big a destruction it shall bring. Yet, they have chosen to face that crazy attack head-on rather than escaping its wrath. Right now, she can only hope that Alexander and Shiva's ice wall would suffice.

"Hey, don't worry! The hero never dies!" Snow grins at her confidently. But something in his eyes doesn't fully assure Fang, nor Vanille and Hope. In fact, they're all aware of the danger they're about to face. And… the worst consequence. But they simply can't turn back now.

Suddenly the ground trembles, more heavily than ever. The area before Barthandelus starts cracking; the cloister of darkness pulsates menacingly.

"Hurry, Fang, Vanille! We've got no more time!" Hope shouts, Protectga starts forming in his hand. Beside him, Snow struggles to do the same.

"Right!"

Without wasting any more time, Fang and Vanille dash into Palumpolum.

* * *

><p>Hope looks forward again, staring anxiously at the brewing darkness. However, his gaze remains strong; he will not falter.<p>

But despite that, the boy cannot help but thinking…

_Light… please get here soon._

* * *

><p>"IF YOU GUYS WANNA RUN, THEN AT LEAST DO IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!"<p>

Fang roars furiously, as she stands before the frightened, panicking crowd of Palumpolum citizens. They too, have felt the ground trembling beneath them. They aren't sure what kind of attack would hit, but fear has gotten the better of them. They are now running around like frightened chickens, aimless and confused.

Fang grits her teeth. Beside her, Vanille has been shouting; trying to warn the people of the incoming attack and that they have to run towards the middle or frontal sectors as fast as possible. Yet, her voice was unheard amidst all the screams. The citizens barely even notice the l'Cie—they keep running around in circles, nowhere further from the threat.

However, upon that last furious roar from Fang, they have slowed down and stare at the l'Cie with disbelief. New screams fill the air as the citizens recognize them.

"Those are the l'Cie!"

"They're here to kill us!"

"Probably they have forced our Primarch to say those things!"

At this, Fang's patience runs out. She glares furiously at the people.

"How the hell can all of you be so BLIND?!" she roars. I don't know how you could've heard what Barthandelus said; but regardless, he meant every single word he said! You all heard him—he's not the benevolent Primarch you all revered. He's a murderous fal'Cie, ready to sacrifice all of you to summon back departed deities, dammit! If you refuse to believe it… then stay here and DIE!"

The people quieted; their disbelieving stares are fixed at Fang and Vanille. However, that's when Vanille steps forward.

"Please listen, we're not here to harm you!" the redhead says. "Barthandelus is going to unleash his attack soon, you all have to run away! Run to the frontal and middle sectors, please, or else his attack will kill you—trust us just this one time, before everything's too late… please…"

Fang growls. She hates it, that Vanille has to _beg _to save these people. She stabs her lance furiously to the ground.

"Enough! We admit we're l'Cie and we know all of you hate us and Gran Pulse! But try thinking with your dense heads for a change; try recalling! Have we ever, ever hurt any of you directly?!" the huntress shouts. Time is running short; that attack can be unleashed anytime… the earthquake has even reached them by now…

The people remain quiet. They're still stunned, unable to make a decision. However, suddenly a man shouts amidst the crowd.

"Dammit, they're right! It's always been the PSICOM…!"

At this realization, the man immediately shoves the people near him and run towards the central sector; just as Vanille told them to.

Upon seeing this, the other citizens are driven by herd instinct. They scream again, before following the man to run. They don't even send Fang and Vanille any last glance; just in those short seconds, they have believed the l'Cie.

In a few seconds, the area before Fang and Vanille get deserted.

Fang exhales. She feels strangely relieved, after succeeding in making the people scram for their lives. The huntress glances at Vanille.

The redhead is still shaking; her hands are clasped together. She was so, so afraid that the citizens wouldn't listen to them. Fortunately they did…

However, right then they both hear a deafening crackling sound. They look up in surprise, right to see the clouds disappear as if being blown by a massive tornado. Then a malicious laughter echoes from the cliffs—as darkness engulfs the horizon and moves rapidly towards Palumpolum.

Barthandelus is unleashing his attack.

Fang and Vanille moved just in time to cast a Protect spell for themselves.

* * *

><p>BAAAMM!<p>

The cloister of darkness shoots out like a giant bullet from Barthandelus' wings. Within seconds it has made its way to Palumpolum, destroying all that stands in its path. Rocks, trees—all burst into dust as the dark magic passes them. It shoots straight towards… Alexander.

The great Eidolon bellows; he bends down, steels his limbs and receives the incoming darkness head-on.

Alexander's grunts echo from the ravine, as he struggles to hold the dark force. However, it is futile; the attack is much too powerful. The great Eidolon falters; the darkness presses against him—

—and smacks the Eidolon down. Alexander bursts into crystal dust as the darkness advances, hitting Shiva's ice wall next. The wall stands hold for a while—the ice clinking and clattering, struggling to withstand the dark force—but then cracks start forming on its glittering surface.

The darkness spreads over the ice, causing even more cracks to appear on its surface that has dulled by now. Then, before long, the entire wall shatters into a thousand shards.

And that's when the darkness explodes as well, along with a deafening, howl-like boom.

The impact spreads—buildings crumble, windows shatter, roads crack—and still the darkness moves forward. It engulfs the rear sector, sending rocks and metals from the destroyed buildings towards the central sector as it advances. More buildings crumble, vulnerable and frail before the dark magic.

Amidst the destruction, Vanille screams as she struggles to dodge the crumbling buildings around her. Chunks of metals and rocks hurl towards her, bouncing off her Protect spell. However, finally her spell wanes and something hard hits her legs from behind. Vanille tumbles, landing on the cemented road painfully. The last thing she felt is something falling onto her, before her vision goes dark.

* * *

><p>Slowly, Barthandelus' dark magic begins to dissipate. As it wanes, the sun starts shining over the land again, bright as if nothing has happened. However, the devastation left by the attack doesn't wane.<p>

The rear sector of Palumpolum is fully destroyed. What's left of the area previously covered in buildings is a swath of bare land, clean even from the remnants of the destroyed buildings. The remnants have been carried by the explosion, and are now resting in piles along the edges of the barren land. Black smoke slowly rises from them; mocking reminders of the past menace.

And amidst the ruins, half-buried under cracked rocks and snapped metals… Snow and Hope lie unconscious, wounds covering their bodies.

* * *

><p>A few distance away from Hope and Snow, Vanille stirs.<p>

"Ugh…"

Pain immediately shoots through her entire body; the redhead cries out. She can't move; something is pinning her down.

Slowly, Vanille opens her eyes.

The first thing she sees is the sky. The sky is clear and bright, as if none of the calamity has taken place. The redhead takes a few ragged breaths, as she turns her head around. Her breath hitches as she sees the destruction all around her.

Suddenly, the object that's been pinning her down twitches. Vanille's green eyes shoot to it—and freeze.

"Fang!"

Vanille cries out as she realizes it was Fang's body that pinned her. The huntress lies unmoving, her eyes shut in pain. Blood flows freely from a deep gash on her head. And all over her back, deep bruises form—for Fang has thrown herself over Vanille to shield the redhead from the falling shrapnel.

"Fang…" Vanille whimpers, slowly wriggling out from underneath her friend. She kneels beside Fang and turns the huntress' body around. At this, Fang lets out a pained moan—but her eyes remained shut.

Vanille tries casting a Curaga, but her hands immediately throb painfully. She grits her teeth, tears forming in her eyes.

"No… Fang…"

In desperation, the redhead looks around her for help. However, nothing is there. Nothing but ruins. And a few meters away from her… Vanille sees Hope and Snow, lying still amidst the piles of rocks. Their bodies have been thrown this far by the dark magic's explosion, along with the destroyed buildings.

"Hope… Snow!"

No replies come.

Vanille's arms start to tremble—she won't believe they're dead. They can't be dead; they're only injured, their Protect spells must have at least reduced the damage they've taken…

But if she doesn't heal them soon, they'll surely die. Sazh too, is still out there, injured…

Yet before Vanille can do anything, a dark shadow suddenly covers the sun. The redhead looks up, shocked—right to see Barthandelus landing on the ground right in front of her. A cruel smile forms on his lips, as the fal'Cie watches the destruction and injured l'Cie before him.

"Piteous l'Cie… look at what your 'noble' deed has brought. It brings nothing but naught and regret!" he chuckles. "True that you have saved the citizens, but it is merely an ephemeral relief. Soon all of you shall die, and I will be free to eradicate the rest. Weep, l'Cie, for you won't be able to see the Makers refining this world!"

Under Barthandelus' power, Vanille trembles. She can feel his murderous eyes fixed on her, cruel amusement shining in them. She can't escape—not that she wants to, not when Fang and the others are injured and unable to move…

Vanille feels tears flowing on her cheeks, as desperation fills her.

No… they can't die here. She can't let Barthandelus kill them all.

"Leave us alone!"

Mustering her last strength, Vanille yells and unleashes Death at Barthandelus. The fal'Cie's eyes widen in surprise, as the spell hits him.

_Please, please work…_

However, Vanille's hope is crushed when Barthandelus laughs loudly. He swings his arm; the Death spell disperses. Then his eyes bore down on Vanille again.

"Insolent l'Cie! Do you really think such an attack can kill me?! The temerity! I was about to let you live to witness Cocoon's demise; yet now you have chosen your painful end!"

And before Vanille can do anything else, Barthandelus beats his wing once. Rocks rain down on Vanille, forcing the redhead to raise her hands to cover her head. However, that's when Barthandelus' next attack hits her.

In less than a second, one long, sharp feather shoots out from the fal'Cie's wing.

"Aaaah!"

Vanille screams as the feather stabs her risen hands, go all the way through both of them, before burying itself on a low rock wall behind her. Pain explodes through her entire arms as her body too, falls backwards.

With her hands impaled above her head, Vanille is pinned to the wall, unable to move at all. Every slight movement sends wave of pain through her, causing the redhead to whimper uncontrollably. Before her, Barthandelus laughs.

Tears now fall uncontrollably from Vanille's eyes. She watches her friends' bodies lying around—injured and unconscious. She looks up at Barthandelus, who looms menacingly in front of her; invincible and murderous. A shaky breath escapes Vanille's mouth as she feels something warm drips on her neck. Her own blood.

More than anything else, Vanille fears that Barthandelus would kill her friends.

In desperation, Vanille shouts.

"Lightning… please, help!"

* * *

><p>Barthandelus freezes just as his claws reach out towards Vanille. He stares at the red-haired l'Cie for a while, as if stunned.<p>

Then the fal'Cie breaks out laughing.

Vanille looks up, terrified, as Barthandelus continues laughing maliciously in front of her. However, soon he stops and glares down at her again with cruel satisfaction in his eyes.

"That's it? That's your last hope, l'Cie?" he asks mockingly.

Vanille stares, incredulous. Her hands throb excruciatingly, making her thoughts blurry.

However, Barthandelus' next words stab her more painfully than her impaled hands.

"Lightning Farron is dead."

* * *

><p>Those words echo from the ruins, but Vanille hears no more. She can only stare blankly in horror, unable to believe what she just heard. No, she doesn't want to believe it. Lightning… can't possibly be dead. She is still out there somewhere, making her way here… she can't be dead… Barthandelus is lying…<p>

"It can't be… Lightning isn't… she can't be…!"

Barthandelus laughs again upon hearing Vanille's denial. He smirks.

"Believe me you. Lightning Farron is dead! I went to Pulse before this war even started, and killed her with my own claws!" The fal'Cie chuckles, as if reminiscing about a pleasant memory.

"I spilled her blood on the ground… and sent Serah Farron fleeing for her life! Regardless of your pleas, they can no longer come to your aid, pitiful l'Cie."

Vanille can't think anymore. Her mind is numb with horror. Barthandelus' words ring in her head, haunting and merciless. She suddenly finds breathing difficult. With her waning strength, Vanille whispers.

"No… you're lying. Lightning can't be dead. She promised… we'll meet again…"

At this, Barthandelus stops laughing. He considers Vanille for a while… before a smirk forms on his face again.

"Heh… you don't believe me, l'Cie? Fine then. As your death gift, I shall show you the truth!"

Vanille's head jerks back in surprise, as a vivid image blossoms in her vision. She recognizes the place—it's Archylte Steppe, Gran Pulse. However, in this vision, the Steppe seems much darker than it usually is. As if a dark shadow is looming over it…

However, the scenery isn't what Vanille's attention is focused at.

Because at the center of the vision, she sees Barthandelus. And crouching before him, is…

"Lightning!"

Vanille cries out; however no voice comes out from her mouth. It is as if she's trapped in a vacuum space, unable to do anything but watch the event unfolds before her terrified eyes.

Vanille sees Lightning right in front of her, bleeding and panting. The soldier's overcoat is torn; she can see her midriff covered in deep bruises. Her ribs are broken. Other than that, her arms are covered in blood… for Fafnir is gripped tightly in her right hand.

"Light!"

This time, it isn't Vanille who shouts. The redhead turns her head around, right to see Serah with her bow raised. She, too, is covered in cuts and bruises. She raises Morning Glory, ready to shoot—

"Serah, run!"

Serah freezes, her eyes dart to her sister. Lightning is struggling to stand up, one hand clutching her midriff. The soldier shouts again, this time more urgently.

"Run, Serah! We can't defeat him now; we need the others! Go and get help, I'll hold him back!"

Serah hesitates—she hasn't fully lowered her weapon. She stares at Lightning, terrified.

"But, Light! I can't just leave you—"

"There's nothing you can do if you stay here! He'll keep targeting you—"

As if to prove Lightning's point, right then Barthandelus unleashes a barrage of his dagger-feathers at Serah. The pinknette screams, throwing herself sideways to dodge the feathers. However, some are about to hit her—

—But they bounce away, repelled by the Protect spell Lightning managed to cast for Serah at the last minute. The soldier is now panting with exhaustion, her hands trembling.

"Serah, GO NOW!"

Serah looks up, her eyes shining with tears. However, she obeys her sister—she scrambles to her feet, strings Morning Glory onto her back, and dashes away. Barthandelus sends a couple of Ruin after her, but Lightning casts Shell to protect her sister again.

Upon seeing the futility of chasing after the little pinknette, Barthandelus turns his murderous eyes back on Lightning.

"You were lying to protect her, weren't you?" he growls at the soldier. "You barely have enough energy to remain conscious. You know you stand no chance against me, Lightning Farron."

Lightning doesn't have time to answer. Before she can even move, Barthandelus strikes.

Vanille sees his claws rip through Lightning's body, tearing flesh and muscle easily. Blood splatters… there is so much blood. Lightning gags, the red liquid spilling from her mouth as well. Then, mercilessly, Barthandelus punches her limp body.

"Noooo! Lightning!"

Vanille cries out, struggling to move towards the soldier—but it is futile. She can't even twitch. A few meters away, Lightning's body hits the ground. There she lies still, covered in crimson blood. Fafnir clangs uselessly beside her.

"Lightning!" Vanille screams, hoping that somehow, Lightning can hear her.

"Please… Lightning, stand up… Please, Light!"

However, despite Vanille's pleas, Lightning remains unmoving.

"Light… you'll stand up again, right? Come on, you always do… please, Light… get up…"

Still, Vanille's pleas change nothing. For Lightning can no longer hear her.

Barthandelus' laughter is the last thing Vanille hears before the vision dissipates.

* * *

><p>The vision disappears, Vanille finds herself as she was in the ruins again. There she sits still, paralyzed. The only movements she makes are the erratic rising and falling of her chest, as she sobs and whimpers.<p>

No, she doesn't want to believe it… but she's seen it with her own eyes…

Lightning is… is…

…dead.

Barthandelus laughs in cruel glee. "You see now, l'Cie? Your hope is a false one from the very beginning! You marched into this war, unaware of what I've done!"

Vanille's head droops. She can still feel her impaled hands throbbing excruciatingly, but she doesn't care anymore. She can't think anymore… her mind is all numb and foggy.

Now they have no more hope. Cocoon will be destroyed soon, and they will die. Barthandelus will reign supreme.

The redhead whispers quietly, in a frail attempt to keep her hope alive.

"Lightning…"

A furious growl rumbles from Barthandelus as he hears this. He steps closer towards Vanille, his claws raised to kill her.

"Lightning Farron is dead!" he bellows.

Vanille closes her eyes in weary acceptance, ready for the final blow—

CRACK!

—But they snap open again in surprise, when suddenly a massive bolt of lightning falls from the sky and strikes Barthandelus' claws.

"Argh!"

The fal'Cie bellows in pain, recoiling away from Vanille—

—before a strong, clear voice rings out from between him and the redhead.

"Really, now? That was some fancy smoke and mirrors, but in reality I'm sure as hell not done living."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: _Alrighty, that's the second chapter of the final battle! Quite lengthy, eh? Hurhurhur but I actually still have a few more chapters to go before the battle concludes :P I just hope you guys like all this fighting, since more are coming. Oh, and thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! They really motivate me to update fast, since I keep looking forward to reading them :3 So… see ya soon, my lords and ladies._

Below are my replies to Erifrats101's and lightning1997's reviews:

Erifrats101: thanks for the review! :D And yep, I've checked out the Boxed Phalanx. They're found in Mah'habara, and are much bigger than those small robot-like monsters which are common around the area. However, on second thought… well, yeah, now that I've seen a close-up pic of it… I admit the Boxed Phalanx's torso itself is small OTL what make them look big are actually just the arms… oops. Maybe you can close one eye and forgive my ignorance this time? :,3 After all, the three l'Cie can sit on the arms… as long as the Boxed Phalanx doesn't swing them too much, hehe.

* * *

><p>lightning1997: thanks A LOT for all your reviews! I always feel very happy whenever I read them :3 haha, and sorry for making you wait so long for these war scenes! Blame those national exams. Oh, but luckily they went well. I'm most relieved that the topics for English essay-writing exam were manageable. Trust me, there are a bunch of nonsensical topics I've encountered in this one year, during all the mock exams and practices. Let me just share with you some of the most 'interesting' ones, and my first thoughts when reading them:<p>

1."Flight." I literally laughed when I read this topic, and I'm sure many of you are also interpreting it the way I did xD Seriously, what do they want me to write, LOL. 'Flight' as in flying, or…. THAT Flight? ;)

2."Describe a major unfortunate event in your childhood that has greatly affected your life." Sir, try asking Lightning or Serah to write this. I'd be very surprised if that doesn't end in (your) blood and tears.

3."Hero." Oh God. Please don't. This topic reminds me too much of a certain idiot. I feel nauseous just by imagining having to write about him.

4."Love is tough. What do you think?" ARE YOU SERIOUS.

5."Write a story that begins with the narrator speaking and ends with the same narrator facing something unexpected." The thirteen days after we awoke…

Well, yeah, that's it. Glad those tortures are over :P


	45. Chapter 45

"Lightning!"

Vanille almost can't believe it. Less than one minute ago, she saw Barthandelus tearing Lightning's torso with his claws. But now here the soldier is, alive, leaping out of nowhere and lands firmly between her and the fal'Cie. In addition to that earlier Thundaga, Lightning has also unleashed a powerful Aeroga at Barthandelus; the spell sends him tumbling away, providing them a brief respite.

Tears of relief flow down Vanille's cheeks as Lightning's presence immediately triggers a familiar feeling of safety.

"Light… Lightning! You're here!"

Lightning turns her face slightly, her blue eyes gazing at her friends' fallen bodies. Then those orbs fall on Vanille's impaled hands—and immediately blaze with fury. Fortunately, Vanille doesn't see it due to her blurred vision. The redhead continues sobbing, so Lightning quickly answers her.

"Vanille… sorry I'm late. Serah and I got hindered in the Faultwarrens," says the soldier. She turns her gaze back to Barthandelus, watching the writhing fal'Cie's movements closely.

Vanille wipes her tears away. "Hindered…?"

Right then, another familiar voice rings out from beside the redhead.

"I guess it was Barthandelus' doing. He conjured a strong Paling right over the entrance of the Faultwarrens… we had to spend quite some time struggling to break it."

Vanille turns around, a gasp escaping her lips. "Serah!"

The younger Farron falls into step beside her, Morning Glory strung on her back. Her eyes, unlike her sister's, are fixed on Vanille. They widen upon seeing the redhead's impaled hands.

"Oh, no… Don't worry, Vanille, I'll heal you now," says the pinknette. However, Vanille shakes her head urgently.

"No Serah, I'm fine! Heal Fang first; please…"

"But your hands are—"

"I'm fine, Serah, please! Help Fang—she protected me…!"

Serah opens her mouth to say something, but Lightning cuts her.

"Just do what she says, Serah. Don't worry, I'll help heal her after I hold this fal'Cie off for a while longer."

Serah looks up at her sister—but freezes when she catches a glimpse of those azure eyes. It was less than two seconds, but enough for the younger Farron to see the blazing fury in them. She's never seen those eyes laced with so deep a fury like that before…

Without further ado, Serah nods and gets back to her feet. She jogs to Fang, before kneeling down beside the huntress. A relieved sigh escapes Vanille's lips as she sees Curaga lighting up her best friend's wounded body.

Then Vanille turns her head to Lightning again, finally having some time to observe her weapons.

As usual, Blazefire Saber is resting in the holster hanging off Lightning's belt. However, the soldier has reversed its position, such that the gunblade's hilt is now within easy reach of her left hand instead of her right.

Fafnir, meanwhile, is strapped to her back. The inside of the blade is already blazing with flames, triggered by Barthandelus's presence. However, the fire sword has had more conspicuous adjustments. Its hilt has now been wrapped tightly in a long strip of bandage, which continues hanging freely down to Lightning's waist before looping up again and wraps itself around the soldier's right arm. It continues wrapping Lightning's arm loosely until it reaches her wrist, at which its end is secured with a clasp.

Vanille blinks. Upon closer inspection, she realizes the 'bandage' is actually made of tough leather—probably from a Behemoth's hide. The redhead has just opened her mouth to ask, but right then Barthandelus recovers.

The fal'Cie roars angrily at Lightning; with unexpected speed, his massive form starts stomping towards them again. Fear spikes in Vanille's heart at the sight, causing her to whimper softly. Their situation is really bad—the others are already down…

Right now, Lightning is the only one who can beat Barthandelus. If she fails… then… not only their lives will be lost, but the entire Cocoon citizens' as well.

Softly, a despaired whisper comes from the redhead.

"Please, Light… defeat him…"

Without taking her eyes off the approaching Barthandelus, Lightning gives Vanille a firm nod.

"I will."

And with just those two words, Vanille feels everything is going to be alright.

By now, Barthandelus has closed the distance between them and is merely a few meters away. He roars again as he raises his claws.

"I'll kill you this time for sure, Lightning Farron!"

Yet Lightning isn't the least bit intimidated. The soldier simply shrugs, sarcastically muttering, "Yeah, right."

Then she makes her move.

Without hesitation, Lightning grabs Fafnir from her back. She doesn't hold its hilt, however; she holds the bandage—before swinging it in a large circle over her head, just like a kusarigama. Vanille gapes as the sharp sword spins quickly through the air, creating a deadly gale. And right before Barthandelus reaches her, Lightning whips the fire sword towards him.

Fafnir shoots forward, so quickly that the fal'Cie doesn't have time to defend. It strikes Barthandelus' outstretched hand, going straight through his flesh. The fal'Cie bellows in pain, pulling his impaled hand back. At the same time, Lightning tugs sharply at the bandage; Fafnir shoots back towards her in a lazy loop. The soldier catches it easily, the now-loose bandage fluttering around her arm in the small wind created.

And no wound appears on her body at all, despite Fafnir has clearly wounded Barthandelus. Relief explodes in Vanille's heart, for she was half-expecting Lightning's arm to be scalded like before.

The attack took Barthandelus off guard; he's never expected anyone to use a sword like that. Thus, he reacts a second too late to Lightning's follow-up attack—a mistake he pays dearly for.

Quick as flash, Lightning grips the middle section of the leather bandage and spins Fafnir again, this time in a much greater circle than before. Then she whips the sword in a deadly arc towards Barthandelus.

The fal'Cie doesn't have time to dodge. He raises his left wing to block Fafnir—

—and the fire sword slashes right through it, cutting the wing clean off Barthandelus's back.

"Aaargh!"

Barthandelus roars in pain, flapping his good wing blindly. His severed wing drops to the ground, shattering into crystal dust upon contact. Using this chance, Lightning pulls Fafnir back while unleashing a Firaga at the writhing fal'Cie with her left hand.

BAM!

Firaga hits Barthandelus' mangled body head-on, sending him skidding across the ruined city. To top it off, Lightning mercilessly unleashes an exceptionally powerful Aeroga; this time the spell hurls Barthandelus right into the ravine across the grassland. His bellows echo through its walls as the fal'Cie falls.

As soon as his massive form disappears, Lightning straps Fafnir onto her back and dashes to Vanille. She bends on one knee beside the trembling redhead, her eyebrows furrowed upon seeing Barthandelus' dagger-feather that impales her hands.

"Light… you… Fafnir didn't hurt you—why?" Vanille stutters to the soldier beside her, still overwhelmed after watching Lightning cutting off Barthandelus's powerful wing that quickly.

"I figured that out in the Faultwarrens… if I'm not in direct contact with Fafnir when it slashes a fal'Cie, then I won't suffer its backlash," Lightning answers quickly. "Then Serah and I made this leather bandage, so I can throw Fafnir and retrieve it easily. But that's not important—now I need to draw this feather out of you, Vanille."

Vanille gulps. She glances up at her impaled hands—the feather seems to be stuck deep.

Lightning clicks her tongue. "I'll cast Curaga for you as soon as I pull the feather out. There's no other way—I can't seal the wound with that feather still stuck in your flesh, right?"

At this, Vanille sighs. She looks into Lightning's strong blue eyes—and nods resolutely.

"Make sure you don't bite your tongue."

With that, Lightning sharply pulls the feather out. And despite her effort to hold back a scream, Vanille still fails. A pained cry escapes her lips as she feels the feather grazes against her flesh, before leaving her hands with a sickening sliding noise. Blood immediately spurts out—Vanille's hands start dropping limply from the wall. However, Lightning immediately holds her trembling wrists tightly together.

Vanille shuts her eyes, whimpering again as she feels blood dripping to her neck accompanied with searing pain. She can feel the familiar warmth of Curaga on her hands, but the pain still lingers. She keeps still while Lightning heals her, struggling to stop her trembling by gazing into the strong blue eyes in front of her. Noticing the redhead's struggle, Lightning decides to keep her talking.

"Hey, don't pass out now! Just talk to me—tell me what's happened, anything at all."

Vanille immediately starts talking, struggling desperately not to faint. She tells Lightning everything that has happened since they arrived in Cocoon this morning. About the initial battle at the grassland, Barthandelus's attack that destroyed half of Palumpolum, and how they were all defeated.

When she's done, Lightning lets go of her wrists.

Vanille lets her hands drop and stares at them—the wounds have closed, but they leave scars and still throb occasionally. However, that's good enough. The redhead looks up at Lightning gratefully.

"Thank you… Light."

"Don't sweat it. Now, Vanille, we'll have to split up. Go and help Serah heal the others—but get them to the grassland where Sazh is first. This place isn't safe."

"Eh? But how about you, Light?"

"I'll take care of Barthandelus. He'll climb out of that ravine soon—and I plan on giving him a proper welcome."

"Wait… alone?" Vanille's voice hitches; she remembers what happened the last time Lightning fought Barthandelus alone.

However, the soldier doesn't look hesitant at all. She simply nods.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I've got Fafnir—and it can't hurt me anymore. Just go and help the others."

Vanille still hesitates for a second more—but right then, a deafening roar echoes from the ruins. With that, Barthandelus bursts out from the ravine, his eyes shining murderously despite his remaining wing has to beat laboriously to keep him airborne. Just now, he was taken aback by Lightning's new technique; but he isn't going to repeat that same mistake again.

Knowing there's nothing much she can do at her current state, Vanille reluctantly agrees to Lightning's plan. The redhead nods, before dashing towards Serah. Lightning watches as Vanille sprints away.

_Now that that's settled… _Lightning shifts her glare to Barthandelus again.

_Time to finish this._

* * *

><p>"Come on, come on…"<p>

I channel more energy into the Curaga spell forming in my hands, watching anxiously as it glows brighter. But despite that, the large gash on Sazh's head still heals slowly. It's nothing unexpected, though; his wounds have been left untreated for quite a while. Beside me, Vanille is also kneeling beside Hope, struggling to heal him.

Right… After leaving Lightning in the ruins of Palumpolum's rear sector, we have carried our friends back to the grassland. Vanille summoned Hecatoncheir, so we managed to carry them all in one go. After we found Sazh, we immediately started healing everyone.

However, we still find difficulty in the healing process. Our friends are wounded all over their bodies; especially Fang, who got her torso damaged really badly. Thus the healing process is slow and not thorough. We're forced to treat only the critical wounds, leaving the less serious ones for later. This way, we manage to keep everyone alive—but they still haven't regained consciousness yet. Vanille and I are doing our best to heal them, casting Curaga after Curaga relentlessly, watching worriedly for the wounds to close.

But suddenly, a soft whimper comes from my left.

I turn around—right to see Vanille's Curaga disappearing. She hurries to create another one to heal Hope's broken arm, but her hands tremble heavily. I also notice that her newly-formed Curaga is significantly smaller than mine.

_She must be tired._

What was I thinking? Vanille has been fighting Barthandelus with the others since this morning, and even got her hands impaled. Of course she is exhausted!

Upon sensing my stare, Vanille glances up. She smiles quickly, before looking down again to continue healing Hope.

"Hey, Vanille… Why don't you rest for a while?" I offer.

"Huh? Oh, no need, Serah! I can still—"

However, right then Vanille's Curaga flickers and disappears again. She squeals, quickly forming another. But that was enough to prove my point. I walk over and firmly push her to sit down, ignoring her protests.

"Rest. You've been fighting since the morning; if you faint out of exhaustion here, then you wouldn't be able to help us anymore," I say sternly. "Don't worry, Vanille, we've healed the others enough to sustain their life. You can continue healing their other wounds a while later."

Vanille hesitates for a second, but finally sighs and sits hugging her knees. Her hands are still trembling slightly; her face is pale. She watches me through half-closed eyes as I continue healing Sazh.

As I seal the burn wound on Sazh's chest, Vanille speaks up.

"Wow, Serah… your healing skills have really improved a lot," she comments. "I mean, you sealed that wound so quickly…"

Despite our dire situation, I can't help but chuckling dryly. "Well, yeah… Result from my training with Light, I suppose."

Upon hearing the mention of Lightning, Vanille's shoulders droop.

"Is… is Lightning gonna be okay? She's _alone,_ fighting Barthandelus…! I don't know how, but that fal'Cie has gotten much stronger than before, Serah," she whispers softly.

She sounds very worried, so I quickly force myself to hide my own apprehension. Truth be told, I _am _worried about Light—after training with her for so long, I feel uneasy to have her fighting alone like this. I want to be by her side as Medic, ready to heal her if anything happens. But for now, I shouldn't make Vanille even more worried than she already is. So I just give her a reassuring smile.

"But Light's gotten much stronger, too, y'know."

Those forest-green eyes are still laced with worry, but they light up slightly at this. "How have you two been training, anyway?" she asks curiously.

"Well, the moment we arrived in the Faultwarrens, Light immediately assaulted the monsters there until we reached Titan," I answer while observing Sazh's breathing rate. "And then… phew, I admit she shocked me when she started throwing Fafnir at that giant fal'Cie. I was expecting her arm to get scalded like before, but nothing happened! And then there she was—smirking victoriously like Fang—and asked me to help her make that leather bandage from Behemoths' hide. It seems she's thought of that tactic all along, and only needed to test out her theory."

Vanille listens tentatively, swaying slowly back and forth. "So she started training to use Fafnir like a kusarigama, then?"

"Right. She had problems at first, of course… but she trained hard and eventually mastered the technique." I chuckle ruefully. "Ugh, but she got hurt so many times initially… because that technique also creates some windows of vulnerability."

"Wait, what?"

"Whenever she swings Fafnir at the enemy, she becomes weaponless, right? So if the enemy is quick, they can dodge Fafnir and use the opportunity to attack Light back," I explain. "This happened a lot in the beginning of our training, so I had to keep healing her from the injuries. I guess that's how my Medic skills and stamina improved."

Upon hearing this, Vanille looks all worried again. "But if that's so… then wouldn't it be dangerous to leave Light fighting Barthandelus alone? It's true she managed to wound him badly just now, but it was because he hadn't expected her to use Fafnir that way! Now that the element of surprise is gone, he wouldn't be so—"

"Hey, calm down. I told you Light's mastered the technique."

"But—"

I huff, explaining further. "Light's found a way to overcome that vulnerability window, Vanille. As she trained with Fafnir, she also trained her left hand to wield Blazefire. That's why, even though enemies aim to attack her after dodging Fafnir… she can still defend and counterattack using Blazefire Saber or magic."

Vanille's eyes widen upon hearing this.

"Whoa… so she can use two weapons simultaneously now?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Lightning's ferocious battle with Barthandelus continues raging. They attack and dodge each other so much, that they have unconsciously left the ruins of Palumpolum a few distance behind and fight in the nearby grassland instead.<p>

"You would've lived a bit longer if you stay behind that Paling, Farron!"

With that bellow, Barthandelus' fists come raining down on Lightning. He might have lost one of his wings, but that doesn't mean he's weaker. His attacks come in rapid succession, relentless and powerful. Before him, Lightning struggles to dodge the blows. Her agility really saves her now; without it, she would've been crushed under those fists in no time.

Grunting, Lightning ignores the challenge and somersaults away from the blow. But this time, she's ready for a counterattack.

Before Barthandelus can withdraw his fist back, the soldier swings Fafnir at his arm. The fal'Cie's eyes widen in alarm, but he knows better than trying to block the attack. His severed wing has taught him that lesson. And so, he growls furiously and aims a punch at Lightning instead—thinking that if he should get hurt, then he'd make sure she is, too.

CLANG!

"Gah! Curse you!"

Barthandelus recoils; Fafnir has cut a long gash on his left arm. But although he is hurt, he has failed in doing the same to Lightning.

Because the soldier has drawn her Blazefire Saber right at the last minute, blocking Barthandelus' punch to her torso effectively.

Blue eyes flick up; Lightning quickly somersaults backwards to dodge a Ruinga that just shoots out from her nemesis' mouth. Although she manages to parry it, but something still disturbs her.

_Damn. This fal'Cie is way more powerful than before…_

Despite her undaunted front, Lightning is actually wary. That last punch from Barthandelus… true that she managed to block it with Blazefire Saber, but her arm trembles from the impact. She's never experienced that on their previous fights, at least not when the fight has just begun like now. Undeniably, Barthandelus' strength has increased a lot.

But Lightning isn't one to give up just because the odds are not in her favor. Resolutely, she dashes forward to attack Barthandelus again, Fafnir spinning at her side.

* * *

><p><em>This cursed l'Cie woman… I can't believe she managed to overcome Fafnir's backlash! <em>Barthandelus thinks angrily as he flaps his wing to attack Lightning with the dagger-feathers. However, it's futile; the woman dodges them easily, blocking the rest with Fafnir's spinning form.

Barthandelus growls. Ever since this fight started, never once did he manage to injure her. She either dodges or blocks his attacks, while he himself has received some slashes from Fafnir. The only bright side he can see is that the Farron woman is getting drained slowly. The fight has lasted for quite long, and he finally detects an increase in her breathing rate. Soon she would make mistakes… and he shall be able to claw her head off at last.

With this thought, Barthandelus continues assaulting Lightning, aiming to tire her out. Everything is under his control, he thinks.

But silently… the fal'Cie feels apprehension building up in him as well.

Because Farron is the first being who can keep up with him in this final form of his. Especially with her ability to wield Fafnir like that… he knows such technique is extremely difficult to master, yet Farron makes it look as if it's a natural thing. She spins Fafnir effortlessly, pulls it back just on the right times to dodge his claws, twists the leather bandage gracefully without even once getting it tangled…

_She is formidable._

Suddenly that thought flits through Barthandelus' mind as he struggles to dodge Lightning's slashes and magic attacks. At that, the fal'Cie's eyes widen slightly. No, he is not going to acknowledge her strength! Heis a fal'Cie—he is not going to be defeated by his own l'Cie. He is going to tear this woman to shreds, whatever happens!

* * *

><p>Lightning struggles to control her breathing as she swings Fafnir away from Barthandelus's slashing claws. She quick-steps backwards, pulling the leather bandage sharply to retrieve the sword. The moment she catches it, she jumps back—right to parry an exploding Ruinga. The soldier lands on a crouching position, immediately looking up to perceive the next attack.<p>

So far, she's keeping up good enough with the fal'Cie… but slowly and surely, she can feel herself getting exhausted.

Initially, Lightning thought she's managed to get the upper hand in the fight. She's cut Barthandelus' wing off, injure his arms… yet her assumption is proven wrong, as those injuries do not seem to hamper the fal'Cie at all.

"I shall eradicate you and those other useless l'Cie, Farron!"

Lightning raises Fafnir on time to block yet another flurry of swipes from Barthandelus' claws. She doesn't answer him; but deep rage boils in her heart upon hearing his last words. Unintentionally, images of Vanille's impaled hands and Fang's heavily-bruised body flash in her mind. Next comes an image of Hope and Snow, lying motionless in the ruins with wounds all over their body.

Dammit, Hope is just a boy… he shouldn't have been involved in all of this mess! Snow is an idiot, yes, but at least he tried protecting everyone. Sazh… he's only trying to save his son. While Fang and Vanille are just trying to redeem themselves for attacking Cocoon in the War of Transgression. But it's not even their fault; it was this cursed fal'Cie that used them as pawns in his evil plans! None of them deserves any of this.

Yet this fal'Cie… he has mercilessly hurt all of them, the only people Lightning ever considered as friends.

Another wave of rage sweeps past her as she recalls how Serah was imprisoned and tortured in Zalera, also by Barthandelus' order.

One can get pretty angry with much less provocation.

_Enough… is enough!_

* * *

><p>Barthandelus thought he's managed to corner Lightning, but he was wrong.<p>

Suddenly a flicker of rage flashes in the soldier's blue eyes, rage so intense that even Barthandelus is taken aback. He hesitates for a second—and right then, Lightning dashes forward to strike.

Simultaneously, the soldier unleashes Firaga and Waterga from her hands. They explode right in front of Barthandelus' face, creating a thick wall of mist that billows and wisps erratically.

"Gah!"

Barthandelus scowls furiously—his malicious eyes flick around, trying to find Lightning's form behind the mist.

_This mist… she created it to obscure my vision! Damn you, Farron; where are you planning to attack me from?_

Front? Left? Right? Above? Barthandelus' eyes remain vigilant, flicking from one place to another, trying to locate Lightning. However, he can't see her form at all; she seems to have disappeared behind all this mist.

That's when the realization hits Barthandelus.

_Behind._

With a cry, the fal'Cie desperately lunges forward, trying to get away from the incoming stealth attack. But he does it one second too late; before he can get out of attacking range, Lightning has dashed behind him—swinging Fafnir in a small-but-quick arc.

"Agh!"

That pained cry of Barthandelus' rings through the mist, as Fafnir slashes into his neck. It almost cuts his entire head off; but his last-second forward lunge saves him. The blade only cuts half of his neck. Rage and pain fuel the fal'Cie; he quickly turns around and aims a punch at Lightning.

"Damn you, Farron!"

CLANG!

Lightning grunts; her effort to retrieve Fafnir after that last attack has deprived her of the chance to dodge. Luckily, she still manages to catch Fafnir on time and crosses it in front of her torso to block Barthandelus' left fist.

But suddenly that familiar sharp, unpleasant feeling tugs at her; instinctively, Lightning draws her gunblade—

WHAM!

—blocking Barthandelus' right hook just on time, before the blow breaks her ribs.

Lightning grits her teeth angrily, as her legs start trembling under the weight of Barthandelus' fists. They press heavily on her locked weapons, forcing her to stand still. That's when her blue eyes perceive the fal'Cie's victorious expression and his opened maw.

_Damn._

BAAM!

Right then, Barthandelus unleashes Ruinga from his mouth. The spell almost hit Lightning dead-on, but fortunately she managed to block off some of the impact with her gunblade. Yet the soldier is still thrown aback by the powerful spell, slamming heavily on a large rock.

"Agh…!"

Lightning struggles to get up, she knows Barthandelus is approaching—but that crash has blown the air out of her lungs, forcing her to pant heavily. As she struggles to regain her breath, Barthandelus reaches the slumped soldier. He raises his fist, claws out, to tear her to shreds—

—when Lightning's cold eyes dart to his. The fal'Cie is taken aback; something in them almost made him shudder. And that's when he realizes Fafnir is no longer in the soldier's right hand. Only the end of the bandage.

In that split second, Barthandelus realizes the grave danger he is in. With horror, he looks up—right to see Fafnir plunging down from the sky towards him like a guillotine. That Lightning Farron... She's thrown Fafnir up right when the Ruinga hit her, taking advantage of the lingering mist to conceal the blazing sword.

And now that Barthandelus has approached her, Lightning sharply tugs Fafnir's bandage to accelerate its fall. The fire sword glints under the sun as it cuts through the air, fast and deadly, spinning towards the dreadful fal'Cie—

"Argh!"

—and slices right through Barthandelus's flesh, this time cutting off his remaining wing. The fal'Cie writhes, recoiling away even as his severed wing shatters…

Meanwhile, Lightning quickly leaps back to her feet and draws Fafnir from the ground, where it has buried itself after slicing Barthandelus's wing off. She holsters her gunblade, dashing forward to deal the final blow with Fafnir—

But things won't end that easily. Barthandelus is desperate; he knows his death is approaching fast. He decides to take the riskier measure.

The fal'Cie opens his jaws; Lightning's eyes widen as she sees the cluster of darkness brewing within it. That's the attack Vanille described, the same attack that destroyed Palumpolum's rear sector…

Difference being, this time Barthandelus no longer has his wings to enhance the attack's power. Nor does he have time; Fafnir is already so close to decapitating him!

Hurriedly, the fal'Cie unleashes his Ultima attack as soon as it is formed in his jaws.

* * *

><p>"Damn," Lightning curses through her clenched teeth as she sees the attack coming. She was so close to killing Barthandelus—yet now she's forced to retreat!<p>

Before the attack is unleashed, Lightning quickly dashes away. She hears it being released behind her; a quick glance at it presents her with the sight of the darkness spreading over the ground like wildfire, engulfing all in its path. Grunting, Lightning forces herself to sprint faster. She can feel the darkness right on her heels; she clenches her teeth and rolls forward.

But right then, the seeping darkness shimmers menacingly. Knowing what's about to happen, Lightning turns around and crosses Fafnir in front of her body.

Wise move—because a second later, the pulsating darkness explodes. Its scale is much smaller than the one received by Palumpolum, but enough to blow Lightning off her feet, hurling the soldier into the ruins. She barely had the time to cast Protect for herself before her body hits the ground.

* * *

><p>Barthandelus breathes heavily. He clenches his fists together, trying to fight the pain… because that last Ultima he unleashed was released too closely to himself. The explosion has scorched his arms as well.<p>

But he had no choice… that Farron woman had come so close to killing him. The fal'Cie shudders a little at this thought; his teeth gritted.

Especially because he knows Lightning is still alive. The explosion has hurled her into Palumpolum's ruins, but he's sure that it's not enough to kill someone like her. Despite himself, the fal'Cie begins to feel fearful and desperate—for he had come so close to death just now. If that Farron woman attacks him again, somehow he is no longer too sure he'd survive.

Those eyes of hers when she attacked him… they were laced with so much rage, yet somehow remained cold and focused. Whether it's to avenge her friends and sister, or to save Cocoon's future… that woman is fixed on defeating him.

Barthandelus feels fury building in himself as well. How can he, a fal'Cie, decend to this? How can he be fearful of a mere l'Cie?! He should have all the power to eradicate them like bugs; yet he can't.

Because those l'Cie have become stronger than he ever expected them to be.

If he is to defeat Lightning Farron, _and _stay alive… then he'd need to use another tactic. Anything, anything at all! As long as he doesn't have to fight her head-on like just now. But how to do that…

However, that's when opportunity presents itself. Barthandelus looks up, startled, when he suddenly hears the scuffling noise of someone running towards him. A few seconds later, that 'someone' bursts out from behind a large rock.

Barthandelus stares at the newcomer for a few seconds, stunned by the sudden appearance—but then he starts laughing so hard that the ground trembles.

_Ooh, yes, this is it! This is my perfect chance. Get ready, Lightning Farron… this time, you shall perish! Or at the very least, this one shall._

* * *

><p>We look up in surprise when that explosion echoes from the ravines. Vanille gasps; she recognizes that darkness which can be seen seeping slowly at the horizon.<p>

"Serah, it's the same attack as before! The one that destroyed Palumpolum! Only it's smaller this time—"

But I can't hear her. My mind can be said to be going haywire, as worry gnaws at me. Because that explosion… it broke right in the direction where we left Lightning! Immediately various dreadful possibilities swim in my mind.

To make matters worse, right then we felt the vibration from the dark explosion. It's just a slight one, but it proves how powerful the attack is; especially because we are nowhere close to the actual site of explosion. If it can be felt from miles away, how would it feel at the immediate area?

With my eyes fixed to the horizon, unconsciously my Curaga disperses—leaving the wound on Snow's chest half-closed. By now Vanille and I have moved on with healing the others, trying to get their consciousness back. And despite I know they'll live, but I can't say the same for Lightning. What if she got trapped right at the center of that explosion? What if she's wounded badly now?

Vanille must have been as worried as I am, for she urgently says, "Go, Serah! Help Light; I can manage with the others!"

I turn to her, hesitating for a second. It's true that I really want to dash to Lightning right now, but can I just leave Vanille here?

"Go, Serah, please! I can heal the others!"

I ponder our situation quickly. We can't stand still here, not while there's a high possibility that Light's in trouble. Someone has to go see what's happened to her—but Vanille can't. There's a possibility that we'd have to fight Barthandelus there, and she's still too exhausted to stand a chance against him.

Making my decision, I jump to my feet and grab Morning Glory without wasting a second longer. After giving Vanille a thankful nod, I turn and dash towards the direction of the explosion. Behind me, Vanille shouts, "Be careful!" but I hardly hear her. My mind is filled with worry, even as I sprint across the grassland.

_Light, please be okay… I'm coming!_

* * *

><p>After sprinting madly for a few minutes, finally I reach the outskirts of Palumpolum. I can see the destroyed ground where the explosion took place, charred amidst the green grass. Then I run around a large protruding rock and—<p>

—skid to a halt, when I find myself standing face-to-face with Barthandelus.

I stop immediately, shock and fear tugging at my heart. Barthandelus seems to be surprised by my sudden appearance, too—he simply stares at me without doing anything. I notice the deep slashes etched into his body, as well as his scorched arms. It seems he too, was hit by that explosion. To top it off, his wings are gone; they have clearly been sliced off by Fafnir, judging from the burn marks at the remaining stumps on his back.

But I couldn't see Light anywhere.

Forcing myself to overcome my rising fear, I quickly grab Morning Glory and aim it at the hulking fal'Cie. In my mind, I'm already conjuring up as many plans as possible; be it to attack or to escape.

Yet before I can do anything else, Barthandelus laughs.

It is a maliciously gleeful laughter, so loud that the ground trembles slightly. I am taken aback; automatically, I unleash a Firaga arrow at him. It explodes right on his shoulder.

But the fal'Cie doesn't seem to be affected at all. Still grinning, he waves off the smoke from the spell.

"Where's my sister?!" I shout at him despite that intimidating show of power. My eyes flick around in my effort to find Lightning; but it was a mistake. Because Barthandelus strikes right then.

"Welcome, Serah Farron," hums the fal'Cie softly. Then he stretches his massive arms out.

Immediately thick, luminous vines shoot out from those outstretched arms, entangling my limbs tightly. I shout in panic, struggling to break free as those vines start lifting me off the ground. However, it is to no avail; they entangle me so tightly that I'm even forced to drop Morning Glory. In desperation, I try casting magic—but it is a useless effort as well.

Then another vine shoots out from Barthandelus' mouth, bigger than the ones around my limbs. It wraps itself tightly around my neck—

"Ugh!"

At this, I struggle even harder to break free, kicking and flailing my arms desperately.

_What are these vines?! _I think in fear, eyes wild as I observe those long, luminous projections. They remind me of the ones we saw when we were turned into l'Cie—but since I'm already a l'Cie, there's no way these vines have the same purpose as that!

But before I can think of anything else, a pulse of darkness shoots out from Barthandelus' mouth, creeping right along the vine that strangles my neck. My eyes widen in panic upon seeing its approach, but I am helpless. I can't move at all. And right then, the dark pulse hit my head, spreading darkness all over my vision. I can't see—

Then it felt as if an explosion takes place within my head. The darkness disappears; suddenly images start forming… and I begin screaming like never before.

Because those images, I realize in horror that they're from my own memories. They appear so vividly, as if I'm re-experiencing them all over again. Images of Mom and Dad laughing… their smiles… their proud faces… I almost felt happy to see them again this vividly, but then the next image appears mercilessly like a jolt. It's an image of their death.

I know it's a fake memory; back then, Lightning and I were only told by the authorities about their passing. But here, it is as if I am sitting with them in that car, right when the accident happened. I see their shocked faces, hear their screams—then, feel their blood splattering on my lap.

I scream and scream, struggling to banish the images away. Yet they persist—if anything, they intensify instead. Now memories of my childhood start surfacing, painful memories I wanted to forget.

Lightning and I at our parents' funeral… my quarrel with her before she joined the GC… Lightning leaving for the military training… the cold loneliness I felt in her absence…

And the undeniable feeling of _resentment_, when I saw two sisters walking hand-in-hand in the city square—as well as when I see my classmates' parents coming for the graduation ceremony.

More images appear mercilessly; images of those long, lonely days I spent alone while Lightning was on her missions. I was missing Mom and Dad so much back then, but Lightning wasn't there to soothe me. My thoughts from those times return, clear and stark.

_If only… if only I have another sister… then maybe I won't be this lonely. Lightning, where are you?! Why do you leave me like this… You're never here for me…_

At that, my real thought bursts free, a strip of light amidst those dark images.

_No… those were my thoughts when I haven't realized how much Light has done for me—I don't think that way anymore—Light—_

But that thought immediately gets drowned amidst the darkness, as more thoughts from my past appear.

_Lightning, how can you be so selfish?! How can you just leave me like this… no other sister would've left their younger sibling for the military! Why can't you try finding another way to— _

_You're never here for me. How do you expect me to understand someone who keeps leaving for stupid missions?! Why can't you be like my friends—they're always by my side, soothing me when I'm sad, making me laugh… unlike you—_

As more such memories surface, I begin losing my consciousness—including my faint recognition that some of those thoughts aren't mine. They're fake… Barthandelus conjured them…

Yet I can only float helplessly within those fake memories, watching as they become increasingly cruel and heartless. Time no longer has meaning; it felt as if I am trapped in that maze of nightmares for eternity.

Until eventually, I start believing those cruel thoughts conjured within them, those heartless thoughts that were never mine. But now those thoughts have become _my _thoughts. I believe them—I _agree_ with them.

And that's when intense loathing starts flourishing in my mind, quickly turning into rage as cold and dark as a bottomless abyss. It burns me from the inside—I scream and howl, craving to attack, to unleash those hatred and anger.

Then I feel myself being dropped to the ground, the vines disappearing. My body trembles uncontrollably—my limbs are screaming to act, to lash out, to attack.

A deep, booming voice from nowhere speaks to me.

"Now, child… wouldn't you wish to kill this woman who has hurt you so?"

And ever since I heard that voice, everything turns dark for me. I feel nothing else but hatred; I can't even feel my own body. I don't know what I'm doing anymore… and so I didn't realize myself answering that voice.

"Yes…"

"Excellent. Now let me lure her out for you, Serah Farron."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the ruins of Palumpolum, Lightning opens her eyes amidst the ruins. She shakes her head; grunting when dizziness sweeps through her. Forcefully, she turns her head around.<p>

She's in the rear sector of Palumpolum; she knows it immediately from the ruins she's in. A quick glance to the surroundings shows her that she's alone amidst the clouds of rock dust. Whether it's luck or not, Barthandelus hasn't chased her into this ruins after that dark Ultima threw her here. Maybe he too, was injured. Whatever; right now she has to move.

After ensuring her gunblade is still in its holster, Lightning grabs the half-destroyed rock wall beside her and hoists herself up. She curses softly; despite her Protect and Shell spells, her body still aches all over after that crash. Her blue eyes dart around, looking for Fafnir. Her heart lurches as she realizes that the leather bandage has been torn.

That's when she spots Fafnir's hilt. Lightning jogs to it—only to find the fire sword stuck in a slab of rock. Grunting, the soldier grabs the hilt and forcefully pulls the sword out. Half of the flames in the blade have died down; that's a good sign. It means Barthandelus is not nearby…

But the more pressing matter is the torn bandage. Lightning glances at it, sighing upon seeing its charred remains. More than half of the bandage is gone, the remaining strip hanging limply from her arm. Shaking her head, Lightning rips it all off. It's useless now; she'd have to find another way to avoid Fafnir's backlash.

However, the soldier grimly admits that there isn't any other way she can think of.

"Tch… and I was so close to defeating him…"

Lightning stares at Fafnir disdainfully. She sure as hell doesn't find the idea of using it appealing at all. She still remembers clearly how it felt when the sword's backlash burned her…

But suddenly the soldier's eyes flick up. She turns around quickly—for she has definitely heard some scuffling noises from behind her.

She listens hard, but no other noise can be heard.

Still, she is _sure _she heard something. Lightning isn't one to doubt herself... or at least, her skills.

After strapping Fafnir to her back and drawing Blazefire Saber out, slowly the soldier moves towards the ruins of the house a few meters behind her. It is where she suspects the noise came from—but still, nothing moves or makes any sound as she approaches.

There it is again!

Lightning frowns as she hears another noise coming from within the house. It sounds like… a whimper?

Quietly, the soldier presses her back on the house's wall and peers through the window. However, it's no use; the room inside is filled with debris and is poorly-lit. But definitely, that whimper came from this room.

Finally, Lightning's patience runs out—for Makers' sake, she still has a murderous fal'Cie and a bloodthirsty sword to take care of, dammit! Deciding to get the source of these strange noises the hell out, Lightning leaps nimbly through the broken window, landing firmly on her feet inside the room. And there, her eyebrows immediately rise as she spots the source of those noises.

Right in the corner of that dark room, hiding in the shadows and staring wide-eyed at her, are two little girls—not more than eight years old. They seem to be sisters, judging from their identical long brown hair and pale blue eyes. The older one is hugging her little sister tightly, her hand clasped over the girl's mouth. However, it is a futile effort; upon seeing Lightning's sudden appearance, the younger girl squeals. Tears start flowing out uncontrollably from her frightened eyes.

Lightning frowns. She's never expected anyone to linger in these ruins. Didn't Vanille say that she and Fang had sent the citizens escaping into the middle and frontal sectors?

Meanwhile, the younger girl has started sobbing. Lightning's eyes flick to her in annoyance; she's never liked it when someone cries in front of her. However, the older girl misinterprets her annoyance as hostility.

"Stay away from us!"

With that high-pitched cry, the girl throws a piece of rock at Lightning. The soldier is kinda surprised by this sudden attack from a clearly-frightened little girl, but she's still able to catch the thrown rock easily. She glances at it; it seems to have been sharpened, as a makeshift weapon. Quite smart… for kids who wandered into battle ruins while the battle is still raging.

Then Lightning's eyes lock with the girl's. She shudders under the soldier's cold gaze, but maintains her glare bravely. She has wound her arms around her sister again, in a feeble attempt to protect the whimpering girl with her own little body. Upon seeing this, Lightning sighs. She tries her best to make her gaze gentler.

"I'm not going to hurt you, y'know," she says to the girls. To prove her point, she holsters her gunblade and folds her arms. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

The girls merely stare at her fearfully.

Lightning clicks her tongue, beginning to feel irritated.

"Look, I don't have the whole day to babysit wandering girls. In case you two don't know, there's a murderous fal'Cie right outside of these ruins! He was the one destroying this entire sector; so why the hell are you two wandering into this dangerous place? Go back to wherever you came from, now."

Well, that sounded much like an order; which would probably scare the girls more. But whatever—that was already her best shot. Lightning is never good with handling kids… especially crying, frightened ones who believe she's there to kill them.

But contrary to what she expected, the older of the two girls mutters something to answer her, despite in a trembling voice.

"But we can't go back… we need to find our parents..."

Lightning is taken aback, but she keeps her face expressionless. She unfolds her arms, staring at the girls. After hearing her sister's answer, the younger one has begun crying louder now. The older girl is obviously on the verge of tears as well, but she fights off her tears by biting her lower lip.

"What happened to your—"

Lightning has just opened her mouth, but right then a powerful explosion booms outside the house, causing her to stumble forward. She lets out a curse; she recognizes the attack. It's Barthandelus's Tharnatosian Laughter—he's attacking the ruins, undoubtedly aiming to crush her. Under the attack's power, the house's wall starts to collapse. The little girls scream as rocks rain down upon them.

"Damn," Lightning growls angrily. Without thinking, she throws her body forward, shielding the two girls from the collapsing wall. She casts Protect right when the entire wall crumbles.

* * *

><p>"Damn… it…"<p>

Lightning suppresses a grunt, as small pieces of rock fall on her back. The attack has stopped, but it has caused half of the house's roof and front wall to collapse. The soldier is currently standing hunched with her arms stretched forward, palms pressing on the opposite wall for support as more debris falls. Her Protect spell has waned away; she cast it a moment too late, thus it was immediately half-destroyed when the wall collapsed. But luckily, they're still alive.

Yeah, 'they.' Lightning's blue eyes snap open, glaring at the two little girls who are cowering under her hunched form. They're gaping at her, tears flowing, too scared to say anything.

Lightning makes to straighten up—but immediately winces as her right shoulder flares in pain. She glances at it and is immediately greeted by the sight of a jagged, bleeding gash.

"Right…" Lightning rolls her eyes, drawing her gunblade out. It doesn't matter; the wound isn't deep enough to hinder her fighting.

Meanwhile, two pairs of pale blue eyes have been watching her, terrified at the sight of blood. Upon seeing those eyes, Lightning growls in annoyance. She can't waste any more time—she has to confront Barthandelus before he blows up the entire Palumpolum.

But she can't just leave these girls here.

Huffing, Lightning bends down on one knee and stares straight into the older girl's eyes. The girl squirms, but replies her gaze bravely.

"What happened to your parents?" Lightning asks again, gentler this time. Whether it's because of her less-hostile tone, or the fact that she has just protected them, the girl finally answers her.

"We were separated in the explosion… our parents escaped too late from our home. We returned here after the explosion subsided, but they weren't at home anymore! We have to find them… they must still be around here…"

Lightning frowns upon hearing this explanation, considering her options quickly. If she leaves the girls here, they'll doubtlessly start wandering around again. And will surely be blown to pieces, if Barthandelus suddenly decides to attack the entire sector. Yet she obviously can't take them with her; dammit, she's heading for the _larger_ danger! She'd only get them killed if she takes them along.

The most logical way is to simply leave them alone and hope Barthandelus wouldn't send explosions into the area again.

Lightning stands up, thinking hard. Despite herself, she dislikes that solution. There's something about these girls…

Right then, suddenly the younger girl sobs and whimpers into her sister's shoulder.

"I want Mummy, sis… this place is scary…"

"Hey, don't cry… we'll find Mom and Dad, don't worry…" says the older sister soothingly, as she hugs the little girl closer.

At this, Lightning finally sighs and makes her decision. Right… she has to leave these two girls here, but at least not without protection. She knows this decision of hers is reckless and almost stupid, considering she still has to fight Barthandelus soon—yet she just can't leave these little girls to their fate.

"Odin!"

Lightning invokes her Eidolon, right as she slashes his Eidolith with her gunblade. Immediately the tall white knight explodes into existence beside her, Zantetsuken glinting in his hand. Unsurprisingly, the two girls squeal fearfully upon the sight. Lightning ignores them and looks up at Odin instead—the equine Eidolon has turned his face down at her, waiting for her order.

"Protect these girls," Lightning says firmly. "And help them find their parents, somewhere in this area. Heal them if they're hurt."

Odin nods sternly, shifting his grip on Zantetsuken.

"If their parents are… dead, then take them to somewhere safe," Lightning adds more softly, so the girls wouldn't hear it. Again, Odin nods.

"Otherwise, stay with them until they find their parents. Or until I have no more energy to maintain your summon, Odin."

The white knight bows his head to her; he's ready to do her bidding. Lightning turns to the frightened girls then.

"Stop crying. He's not going to hurt you; he'll protect you two while you look for your parents," she tells them impatiently upon seeing how they're shifting slowly away from Odin.

However, the girls still look terribly frightened. They stare wide-eyed at the looming Eidolon, fear in their eyes.

_This isn't working._

Struggling to suppress her impatience, Lightning sighs and bends down on one knee so she is at eye-level with the older girl.

"Do you want to protect your sister?" asks the soldier sternly.

At first the little girl can only stare speechlessly—but when she hears the mention of her sister, a flicker of determination flashes in those pale blue eyes.

She nods.

"Then be brave for her."

With this, Lightning straightens up and gestures at Odin.

"He's my Eidolon. He won't hurt you; just like I won't. As I said, he'll protect you two while you search for your parents. So stay close—he won't be able to protect you if you keep running from him. Now be brave! Got it?"

Upon hearing this, immediately the older girl nods resolutely and stands up. Her eyes shine with determination now; just as Lightning guessed, this girl only wants to keep her sister safe. The soldier nods back approvingly.

"Go now."

At this, the little girl pulls her sister up, convincing her with gentle words not to be scared. Then she starts pushing her towards a small hole in the wall, where a rock has broken through it. The younger girl tries to squeeze through—Lightning huffs as she watches her struggle. Swiftly, she unleashes a Thundara which immediately enlarges the hole significantly.

The girls are stunned for a while, but then they start running out. Odin immediately follows them closely, Zantetsuken held ready.

Lightning watches as the girls run away. Silently, she hopes their parents are still alive... for she wouldn't want those girls to be orphaned.

Then suddenly, the older girl stops running just before she disappears behind a pile of ruins. She turns to Lightning, staring straight into her eyes—and with a voice that is barely audible, says something.

"Thank you… thunder lady."

A wry smirk forms hesitantly on Lightning's lips upon hearing it. Scoffing, the soldier simply nods to the girl—before turning and dashes back towards Barthandelus.

* * *

><p>As she runs, Lightning draws Fafnir out. She doesn't want to use it, but she has no choice. Barthandelus is already injured quite badly—if she remains focused, she'd be able to defeat him. Her mind starts conjuring plans and strategies, but what welcomes her at that grassland is something she's never expected.<p>

* * *

><p>Lightning leaps over a large rock—she can see Barthandelus right behind it, with his back turned to her. She lands quietly on the ground—<p>

—when something shoots towards her at great speed. The soldier's eyes widen; she moves her head sideways just on time to avoid the projectile. However, it still sideswiped her—blood trickles from the cut it leaves on her left cheek. Meanwhile, the projectile has buried itself in the rock behind her. Lightning glances at it…

And freezes.

Right in that rock, an arrow made of solid Blizzara spell is embedded. Lightning turns her head again at Barthandelus, eyes wide with disbelief.

And standing right beside the fal'Cie, with her bow raised ready to shoot, is…

…Serah.

Lightning can't believe this. Serah… just shot her?

Clenching her fists, Lightning shouts.

"Serah! What happened to you?!"

But the small pinknette chuckles instead of answering her. It is a malicious, joyless chuckle—one that Lightning only heard from…

Right then, Barthandelus chuckles menacingly, the exact same chuckle as Serah's. Lightning's eyes dart to him immediately, her teeth gritted in fury.

"What have you done to Serah?!" she roars furiously at the fal'Cie.

At this, Barthandelus laughs harder. Lightning's eyes dart back to Serah—and this time, she sees her sister's eyes.

They are no longer in their usual blue hues. They're all black now—even to the normally-white parts. It doesn't take long for Lightning to conclude that her sister is under Barthandelus's control.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I hope you guys know what a kusarigama is. If you aren't sure, well… google it :P I'm sure you'll understand how it works just by seeing its picture xD It's actually my favorite weapon… I think it's really cool and deadly, even invincible, when used by a master. Um, so! As always, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks a lot for the reviews too, love them all :,3 I'll update ASAP, so don't worry. See you soon, my lords and ladies._

_Replieeess :D :_

_**Erifrats101**: whoa, sorry for 'kicking your gut'! xD hehe, but I'm sure you'll survive. It'll take more than a kick to take you down, I'm sure of it :3 oooh and I think Vanille tacklehugging Lightning would be real cute :333 and YEEESSS OF COURSE I'm psyched! *flails* Lightning Returns… OMG I can hardly wait for it to be released. Especially cos I didn't really like FF13-2. It involves too much Serah instead of Lightning and it has such a depressing ending… gah OTL *wipes tears* Um, but yeah! I really hope Fang and Vanille would wake up in Lightning Returns. Please, SE, just give us an ending where they wake up and stay with Lightning. It'd be happy enough for me :,333 *but I also hope they'd add more LightningxVanille scenes in the game…*_

_**lightning1997**: hehe, of course I'll reply you! Sorry I hadn't done so earlier. But yeah, good luck for exams! Give it your best shot, like Fang! :D Although I admit it's really cruel to have exams on Sunday O.o Haha, but anyway, thanks for the compliment. Although, honestly it doesn't mean I can get A's in English. Cos my teacher says my essays are too action-packed she wants essays with more 'current affairs' in them. Seriously T.T Oooh btw I suggest you try to get used to cliffhangers. Cos I'm planning moreee :P_

_**Shadow Strabi-star22**: heyyy, thanks for the reviews! :DD I really love reading all of them, they really motivate me to continue writing :,) hehe, and yep, I agree with you! Lightning's a pro in making grand entrances. And she doesn't die easy!_

_**Sgt. Farron ff13**: thanks for the reviews! yaaay glad to find someone who despises Barthandelus as much as I do. That decrepit fal'Cie is full of nonsense; what with his cowardy ideals and purposes. I'm sure he secretly fears Lightning, ha. Oh and yes, let's wait for Lightning Returns! I'm totally hyper just by thinking about it! I'm sure it'll be an amazing game._


	46. Chapter 46

_**A/N**: _Alright lords and ladies, here's the next chap :DD As always, I hope you guys like it. And thanks ahead for the reviews! Oh, and um! Special thanks to LovelyLightandLiara, for telling me the info regarding Lightning Returns's release :,) *squeal* I really can't wait for the game, rawr.

Also, also! Thanks to Guest, for the wonderful review! Aaand for suggesting that Skyrim soundtrack for the battle against Barthandelus. I like it! The title is totally cool and fitting. 'One They Fear'… C.O.O.L. Yeah, that's right, Lightning is the one Barthandelus must fear! Her power is limitless D: *le gasp* Hehe, so, thanks again. You've made me feel so happy and flattered, really :P I'm glad you like the kusarigama concept too!

*Ehem* Okay. So. Here's the next chaaap.

* * *

><p><em>I can't move.<em>

_Where am I? This place is so dark… I can't see…_

_What happened? Why am I here…?_

_Wait… just now… I think I saw something… someone…_

…_Lightning?_

* * *

><p>BLAM!<p>

"Serah, stop it!" Lightning shouts as she leaps away from an exploding Firaga arrow.

Unbeknownst to Serah's semi-conscious mind, her body has been acting on Barthandelus's accord for the last fifteen minutes. She continues shooting magic arrows in rapid succession at Lightning without any remorse. Blizzaga, Firaga, Thundaga…

Lightning struggles to dodge each of them, blocking with Fafnir whenever possible. But although she manages to avoid getting a direct hit, Lightning can feel her energy depleting slowly.

"Ugh!"

This time, a Blizzara arrow erupts right beside her; its sharp ice fragments scattering. A few slash her arms; Lightning quickly retreats to avoid the rest. She grits her teeth angrily.

"Serah!"

Just as before, the little pinknette doesn't show any sign of hearing her. She continues attacking, aiming each arrow directly at Lightning.

Lightning grunts, rolling away to parry a barrage of Thunder arrows. No matter what she says, Serah doesn't react at all. Her now-black eyes continue glaring hatefully, looking at her with a dark loathing Lightning has never seen before. And despite her dire situation, Lightning still feels her heart clench upon seeing Serah like that. To see that much hatred from her sister…

Lightning's blue eyes flick furiously at Barthandelus. The fal'Cie is crouching at a safe distance away from them, watching the fight with cruel amusement in his eyes. True that Lightning has cut his wings off and injured him quite badly, but right now he can heal his wounds undisturbed at the sideline while Serah assaults Lightning relentlessly.

By now, Lightning has begun feeling anxious. When Serah first started shooting her, all she felt were disbelief and anger at Barthandelus for controlling Serah like this. Never once did she think about the prospect of her having to _really _fight Serah. At first her plan was to dodge Serah's attacks, while trying to get her out of Barthandelus's control.

However… that proves much harder than she thought. No matter what she says, Serah doesn't react. To make matters worse, her attacks are so quick that Lightning is forced to be constantly on the defensive. She barely has the time to talk to her sister as she struggles to dodge the magic arrows. They explode erratically, making them difficult to parry.

And now Lightning's arms have been covered in cuts and bruises. Although none of them is serious, but the soldier knows that sooner or later she would get exhausted and won't be able to avoid direct hits anymore. She doesn't even want to imagine what would happen if that Firaga arrow hits her head-on.

But to think of _fighting _Serah… of aiming her weapon at her own sister…

The thought distracted Lightning; before she knows it, a Blizzard arrow has been shot straight at her. The soldier throws herself sideways, but the ice shard still grazes her leg. Despite the sting, she lands nimbly on the ground and quickly spins around to face Serah again.

Blue eyes widen in alarm; within that split second, Serah has unleashed another Thundaga arrow at her. Lightning quickly casts Shell, knowing there is no time to dodge.

"Argh!'

However, despite Shell, some of the Thundaga's impact still reaches Lightning. She grits her teeth as the electricity stings her body, temporarily paralyzing her limbs. The moment the spell disperses, the soldier is left panting on the ground, struggling to lift her head up.

But what she sees hurt her more than the spell.

Blue eyes meet black… instead of their usual twins. Serah is looking down at Lightning, allowing their eyes to lock for the first time. However, Serah's hold no emotion—the girl simply stares blankly, even as her sister crouches in pain right before her. Then, without remorse, she lifts Morning Glory up and shoots two Blizzaga arrows.

* * *

><p><em>Ooh, yes, this is definitely worth watching. <em>

Barthandelus muses in satisfaction, as Lightning struggles to dodge Serah's Blizzaga arrows. Despite that recent damage she just took, her reflexes are still as quick as ever. She's managed to unleash an Aerora right next to herself, thus blowing her body away from the scattering Blizzaga. Impressive… for someone who will die shortly.

Barthandelus chuckles. Ever since this 'fight' started, never once did Lightning Farron attacked. Normally, the soldier would've cut her enemy's limbs off or even stab them to death, but not this time. All she does is dodging and blocking, without showing any intent to switch on the offensive. Although her speed has indeed managed to save her this far, but sooner or later she will surely get exhausted. Then Serah Farron can easily blow her head off.

If Lightning Farron wants to survive… then she _has _to attack. She has to stop her sister from shooting those devastating arrows, permanently.

Barthandelus laughs in glee.

_Face it, Lightning Farron! No matter what you think, my control over your sister is too strong! She doesn't even realize what she's doing anymore. Right now, I have full control over her body—I can make her do whatever I want. And if you wish to survive, then you would have to kill her! There's no other choice!_

Right then, another explosion booms a few meters away from the fal'Cie as Serah unleashes more Firaga arrows. Lightning dashes from side to side to dodge them, but the impact still sends her tumbling forward. Barthandelus raises his eyebrows; accidentally, that impact force has blown Lightning nearer to Serah. If she unleashes that wretched Wrath of Heavens of hers now, she would undoubtedly deal some serious damage…

But Lightning does nothing. Upon realizing her sudden proximity to Serah, she freezes indecisively instead of attacking. She only froze for a second, but Serah already used the chance to shoot three Blizzard arrows at her. At this distance, Lightning can't dodge. She quickly raises her arms to defend her head—yet some of the ice shards still cut her flesh. The soldier quickly rolls away, desperately struggling to dodge the next attacks.

At this, Barthandelus laughs again.

_So, you can't bear to attack your own sister. Foolish child! You should've known by now—if you can't attack her, then she _will_ kill you instead!_

Yet still, Lightning refuses to attack. Even as Serah's assault increases in pace, she insists on dodging and blocking. There is simply not a quantum of offensive will in her sword.

Barthandelus scoffs. This is really carnage… a death festival for Lightning Farron. She is really helpless—she gets bashed over and over again, slashed left and right—and still she does nothing to retaliate.

_Stubborn child… But if that is what you really want, then die! Die, die for your stupid love, Lightning Farron! Die with the knowledge that your sister is the one cutting your life source!_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Lightning is struggling to talk to Serah. She can't continue like this; her energy is depleting, yet Serah's attacks keep coming relentlessly. She has to stop her soon…<p>

As she parries a Thundaga arrow, Lightning shouts as loudly as she can.

"Serah, snap out of it! You're under Barthandelus's control! The real you wouldn't have done—"

However, Lightning's words are cut off when Serah casts a series of spells at her. Stop, Poison, Slow… Lightning leaps away desperately, struggling to dodge the devastating spells. If she gets hit by Stop, or even Slow… then the next magic arrow would undoubtedly pierce right through her. Lightning grunts as she lands hard on the ground, using her momentum to roll away.

_It's useless—no matter what I say, Serah can't hear me! Moreover, I'd be distracted if I try talking to her. If I don't be careful, soon she will…_

Lightning clenches her jaws angrily. For some reason, she can't bring herself to even think of Serah that way. She knows the real Serah would've never done any of this, that it is Barthandelus who takes control of her body and uses her to do his dirty job.

_Damn you, Barthandelus…_

Lightning's eyes flick up; Serah has just unleashed more Blizzard arrows at her. The soldier quickly straightens up and uses Fafnir to slash all those arrows away.

"Serah!" Lightning grunts as she blocks off the last arrow. "It's me! Don't you recognize me? Come on; don't let Barthandelus control you to do this!"

Out of a sudden, Serah's attacks stop. The girl seems to be stunned—she was raising Morning Glory to unleash more arrows, but stops midway upon hearing Lightning's words. For the first time, those black eyes blink hesitantly.

"Serah…?" Lightning calls out again softly.

Serah still doesn't react, but at least she doesn't attack anymore. She just stands there silently, as if petrified, staring blankly straight to the front.

Carefully, Lightning steps towards her sister.

"Serah… it's me. I won't hurt you—you know that, right?"

At this, Serah slowly lowers her weapon. Her hands tremble; she seems to be struggling so hard to do it. Lightning frowns upon seeing this.

"Serah, Barthandelus is controlling you! You've got to fight him—don't let him continue controlling your—"

Then suddenly, Serah falls onto her knees. Lightning is startled—almost out of reflex, she dashes to her sister.

_Has Barthandelus pulled off his control? Or has he… hurt Serah?!_

Lightning reaches Serah's side, extending her hand in worry—

—But that's exactly when those black eyes glint dangerously, before the girl unleashes a powerful Aerora at Lightning.

"Agh!"

Lightning is thrown aback—that sudden attack hits her square on the torso, slamming her body to a large rock heavily. The soldier gasps; that crash has blown the air out of her lungs.

And right then, she hears Barthandelus's laughter.

Despite the pain, Lightning's head turns to the fal'Cie immediately, rage storming in her eyes.

_It was him… it was Barthandelus all along. There's no way Serah would use a dirty trick like that! This fal'Cie… this fal'Cie is the one controlling her! _

Fuelled by this rage, Lightning leaps back to her feet and dashes straight towards Barthandelus.

How dare this fal'Cie controls her sister like that… how dare he makes Serah do all these dirty tricks against her will!

"BARTHANDELUS!"

Lightning has had enough. If this fal'Cie is the one controlling her sister, then she will kill him! Once he's dead, Serah would be freed…

But right then, Lightning hears that unmistakable swoosh in the air.

Out of reflex, the soldier somersaults forward as highly as she can. It saved her; Serah's Firaga arrow explodes right beneath her. Despite her instinct prompts her to cast her own Thundaga to counterattack, but Lightning suppresses it.

No, Serah didn't attack her at will! It was Barthandelus—he is the mastermind! She has to focus on him…

Growling angrily, Lightning continues sprinting towards Barthandelus; Fafnir raised ready to strike. Meanwhile, the fal'Cie is staring at her in sudden fear. Right now, he hasn't managed to heal all of his wounds. They're still opened, sapping his energy, preventing him from moving. He starts roaring in panic as Lightning dashes closer—

—But right then, Serah leaps and lands firmly between Barthandelus and Lightning. She stands there, arms spread, right in the way of Lightning's attack.

"Serah, move!" Lightning shouts, almost in panic, as she dashes towards her sister. However, Serah doesn't budge; she stands still, shielding Barthandelus with her body.

Lightning was dashing too fast to stop. She's merely a meter away, a second away from slashing Fafnir and… killing Serah.

"Guh!"

Lightning stumbles; right before she reached her sister, she forced herself to a sudden halt. However, her speed causes her to lose balance momentarily. Lightning regains it quickly, though; but when she looks up, she finds herself directly in front of Serah.

Lightning's eyes meet Serah's once again. But just as before, there is no hint of recognition in those darkened orbs. They stare ever so coldly at her, ever so blankly.

WHAM!

Taking advantage of their proximity, Serah slams her fist into Lightning's stomach, before kicking her powerfully in the chest.

* * *

><p>Barthandelus breathes heavily. So close… just now, he was so close to being killed. Lightning Farron was less than two meters away from him, ready to slash Fafnir…<p>

…when that Serah Farron interrupted.

He was fortunate… so fortunate. Lightning Farron could've easily clobbered her sister away with magic and continued attacking him, but she didn't. She stopped.

Barthandelus breathes in deeply. Luckily for him, that Lightning Farron is a weakling. He was lucky she was too weak to attack her own sister. She's paid the price; she's gotten a direct hit at last.

However, Barthandelus is still anxious. That attack just now… he managed to survive only because Farron was shocked and distracted by her sister's interruption. Next time, she would surely be able to somersault over her sister to get to him. If that happens…

Despite himself, Barthandelus shudders. He makes his decision.

It is too risky to linger around here while he is still incapacitated by his injuries. No, he is not going to stay here. He'll retreat for now, hiding somewhere safe to heal his injuries while Serah Farron finishes the job for him. If—by any chance—Lightning Farron manage to survive, then he'd be fully healed again to take her down himself. But for now, he has to retreat.

Growling furiously, Barthandelus slashes the air next to him. Slowly, a portal opens in that spot… revealing the bright plains of Gran Pulse.

* * *

><p>Lightning struggles to stand up as she sees Barthandelus disappearing into the portal. She grits her teeth, holding in the flaring pain in her midriff after the blows she's received. No, she can't succumb to it now! Barthandelus is escaping…<p>

However, as Lightning dashes towards the fal'Cie again, a small figure steps in her way. The soldier stops almost in reflex; scowling in desperation, she shouts.

"Move it, Serah! Do you even know what you're doing?! If Barthandelus escapes, he'll get the chance to regenerate! He'll destroy Cocoon, dammit!"

Lightning steps forward, but pauses when Serah lifts Morning Glory up.

"Serah…!"

The only response Lightning gets is a shot at her head. The soldier manages to parry it by an inch, but her heart beats faster upon sensing how close she was to death.

"Serah, please! I know you're still in there; don't succumb to Barthandelus's control!" Lightning shouts desperately at the hollow girl before her. "Remember who you really are, Serah—you would never let him destroy Cocoon!"

But right here, a powerful Firaga arrow explodes; cutting off Lightning's words as she leaps away to dodge it. The moment the smoke disperses, Lightning straightens up—only to be greeted by a barrage of Thundara arrows. Grunting, the soldier leaps backwards, landing on a crouching position on the ground—when she sees Serah through the smoke.

The girl is pressing her palm on the ground.

_Damn._

Lightning immediately reacts the moment she sees Serah's Quake coming—ignoring the throb in her midriff, the soldier stands up and dashes sideways, trying to get away from the Quake's reach…

But she is a second too late. The ground starts trembling beneath her feet—

Lightning does the first thing that comes into her mind. As the ground cracks and shakes furiously beneath her, she leaps forward as far as she can—

And that's when she feels searing pain in her right thigh, a paralyzing pain that causes her entire leg to go numb almost immediately.

"Ahk!"

Lightning lands roughly on the ground, clutching her leg tightly. She has gotten out of the Quake's reach—but now her thigh is throbbing torturously. Lightning grits her teeth as she struggles to hold in the pain, before glancing at her leg.

_Oh, damn._

Lightning has torn her thigh muscle. That leap just now, it was too forced—far beyond her muscles' ability. Now that she's glanced around, Lightning realizes that she's leapt for over a few meters. Her muscle couldn't take it; it's torn.

And now she can barely stand.

Lightning clenches her teeth angrily, fury brewing within her. Every time she tries to talk to Serah, every time she tries to approach her, she always gets bashed. First her stomach… then her chest… and now her leg! By now, the pain has spread all over her body; it almost blinds her, almost renders her entire body motionless. It triggers a natural reaction within Lightning: fury.

She's had enough. The soldier growls, struggling to lift her head. Even through her pain-fogged vision, she can still see Serah. The girl is standing silently a few meters away with her bow raised. Lightning immediately realizes how vulnerable she is—lying motionless on the ground, her leg injured—

Her wariness is proven wise. Because right then, Serah uses the chance to unleash Firaga arrows at Lightning's incapacitated form.

BLAM!

* * *

><p><em>Damn this all…<em>

It hurts… her entire body hurts. Lightning managed to dodge the brunt of the Firaga's explosions, but some of the impact still hurts her. Now she lies amidst the smoke, too pained to even think clearly. She can feel her consciousness fading…

But suddenly, the soldier hears footsteps approaching her. Immediately, her survival instinct awakens—she knows for sure that she'd get killed soon if she just lie here motionless.

Rage flows within Lightning, the only emotion she can feel in her half-conscious mind. Like a cornered beast, that rage is giving her strength…

Following her instincts, the soldier casts Curaga on herself.

* * *

><p>Serah is circling the explosion site slowly. Her black eyes stare without seeing, gazing blankly over the destruction. No sign of movement—<p>

But right then, something leaps out from amidst the smoke. Serah quickly raises Morning Glory in defence—

* * *

><p>Having healed most of her injuries, Lightning leaps out from the choking smoke. Her thoughts are still foggy—right now, she is basically moving on her instincts, driven by the pain-triggered rage that is still flowing in her veins. The soldier raises Fafnir, aiming its blade straight at the blurry figure of her enemy behind all the smoke…<p>

CLANG!

Lightning grunts as the impact force reverberates through her arm. Fafnir slams onto Morning Glory, right between her and Serah. Fogged blue eyes stare straight into those black eyes...

And that's when Lightning snaps fully into consciousness again. She lets out a small gasp—she barely realized what she was doing. And now suddenly she is right in front of Serah, locking weapons with her.

_Crack._

That noise startles Lightning—she glances at their interlocked weapons, and immediately spots the long crack forming on Morning Glory. The bow creaks pitifully under her strength, barely able to block Fafnir's blade.

CRACK!

Yet before Lightning can move away, Morning Glory has snapped into two beneath Fafnir. With the obstruction gone, the fire sword lurches forward, straight at Serah's head—

"Gaah!"

—And stops right before it splits the girl's head in half.

Lightning's hand trembles after absorbing Fafnir's momentum. Again, the soldier has stopped her attack— just before the blade can even laid a single cut on Serah.

For a second, none of them moves. Serah's black eyes stare emptily at Lightning, who is clenching her teeth in desperation. She has almost done it… her blade was so close, so close to cutting her own sister…

However, right then Serah makes her move. Before Lightning can do anything, the girl sidesteps away from Fafnir's reach—

—and clobbers Lightning right in her solar plexus.

"Ahk!"

All air rushes out from her lungs—Lightning doubles over in pain, clutching her midriff. Meanwhile, Serah quickly gets behind her, her arm lashing out—

Lightning throws herself forward, trying to dodge whatever attack that is coming. However, nothing happens—she quickly looks up again…

And sees Serah standing right in front of her, Blazefire Saber gripped in her small hands.

At this sight, Lightning's fury resurfaces. Blazefire Saber is her pride, her weapon of choice… she can never tolerate anyone stealing her weapon. The pain, together with her fury, turns her vision dark. Right now, the soldier can only see the girl standing before her as an enemy.

With an angry howl, Lightning picks herself up and slashes Fafnir at Serah. The girl blocks her attack with Blazefire Saber—the two blades meet with a loud clang. As Serah steps backwards upon the impact, Lightning advances mercilessly.

The two of them exchange blows, repeatedly slashing and blocking each other. The sounds of the blades fill the air, the deafening clang of metal on metal. All around them, a deadly gale is formed from their swords' slashes.

However, eventually Serah starts struggling against Lightning's power. Even in her wounded state, Lightning's skills in swordplay are still unparalleled. Although Serah manages to block her blows, but her arms tremble heavily upon each contact—especially since Lightning's attacks seem to be getting harder by each strike. The girl clenches her teeth, eyebrows scowling over her empty black eyes; for Lightning's slashes have gotten even faster, assaulting her in continuous flurry.

Serah manages to block off several more of Lightning's attacks—but finally, one blow hits her so powerfully that the girl falls to the ground with a cry.

* * *

><p>Lightning was about to deal the killing blow—she's done it so many times, she can even do it with her eyes closed. When the enemy is down, it is her perfect chance to stab it and end its threat. It's something she's been taught over and over again in the military, something she's practised so many times over… it should've been a reflex for her, something she does automatically the moment the chance appears, without even having to think…<p>

Yet now, as she hears Serah's pained cry and sees her tumbling body, Lightning's arm stops moving by itself.

Lightning's body shakes heavily. She is torn between two instincts—a huge part of her screams to strike, to kill, to avenge all the pain she's suffered—yet there's still this small part of her that begs her to stop, to erase all her fury, to calm down.

Right… she was indeed furious… After all those merciless blows she's received, Lightning could no longer see her sister. Serah was gone, and the body standing in front of her is nothing but an enemy. Something that deserves to be struck down…

Lightning's hand trembles—Fafnir shakes along with it.

Maybe she should stop… Serah is already down, she can't do anything els—

WHAM!

"Agh!"

While Lightning hesitated, Serah has gathered her strength back and unleashed an Aero spell at her. The spell wasn't enough to hurt Lightning seriously, but enough to make her stumble. And in that split second, Serah has kicked her in the ribs—combining her kick with another Aero spell to throw Lightning's body across the plain.

Lightning grunts as she lands heavily on the ground; Fafnir clattering far away from her. The soldier glances at the sword—it is way too far for her to grab it on time.

Because the soldier knows what is coming.

Hurriedly, Lightning stands up and glances at Serah. Probably some part of her still hopes that Serah has stopped attacking, that her sister would finally overcome Barthandelus's control…

But from what just happened, Lightning knows there is no such luck. She has held her attacks back over and over again; yet they only result in Serah using the chance to clobber her. All her efforts to bring Serah back… are simply useless.

And now, even as Lightning is standing hunched in pain, Serah has initiated her next attack. The girl is dashing towards her with Blazefire Saber gripped tightly in her hands, its sharp edge glitters under the sun as it points straight at the panting soldier.

Lightning's reflex kicks in—she immediately grabs the only weapon she has left from her leg pouch.

The Survival Knife—her last birthday present from Serah.

With a quick flick of her wrist, Lightning pushes the knife's blade out. Despite the pain after all those blows she's suffered, Lightning is still able to fight. She is a soldier; she knows all too well how to dodge and counterattacks. Given Serah's straightforward attack, she can easily dodge and counterattacks it with her knife.

This is it… this shall be their final blow. One of them is going down here.

By now, Serah has closed half the distance between them. Her feet run across the plain nimbly, bringing Blazefire Saber closer to Lightning with each step. Sensing this fast-approaching mortal danger, Lightning raises her Survival Knife readily.

_Serah is gone._

Serah is gone, and this body dashing at her with murderous intent is nothing more than Barthandelus's tool.

If she doesn't stop this girl now… then the entire Cocoon is at stake. Even in the military, Lightning has always been taught this logic over and over again: It's always better to sacrifice one person's life rather than losing an entire population.

It is simply undeniable: if Lightning wishes to save Cocoon, then she would have to get rid of this enemy before her first.

Serah dashes closer; she is less than two meters away from Lightning now…

At this, Lightning can't help but imagining Serah dead. She can see it clearly… her knife stabbing into the girl's neck, her warm blood spilling out… her life fading away. If that happens… then she will never be able to see Serah again.

Lightning's hand suddenly trembles.

Right... No matter what she is doing, no matter how uncontrolled her actions may seem, but Serah's soul is surely still alive. Her will is still alive, somewhere within this hollow body, only suppressed by Barthandelus. If Lightning kills her body now, then Serah will truly be… dead.

_Life without Serah... isn't living at all._

Lightning grits her teeth in desperation. Even now, when Cocoon is at stake, she still can't bear the thought of killing Serah. She loves her, no matter what. Even after all those blows she's received, even after all the agony she's suffered.

But if she chooses to spare Serah's life… then millions of Cocoon citizens' lives will be lost instead!

Serah is right in front of Lightning now—she draws Blazefire Saber back, ready to stab it into Lightning. The soldier's eyes widen in alarm at this tell-tale sign of an ensuing attack— out of reflex, she aims her Survival Knife precisely at Serah's jugular...

Then out of a sudden, the promise that Lightning made to herself so long ago resurfaces in her mind. The promise she always withholds, the promise that has almost become her reason to live…

"_I'll strike every danger away from her, even if I have to… fade away."_

Serah thrusts Blazefire Saber forward in great speed, straight towards Lightning—

_Do it now!_ her logic shouts. _Move that knife, just stab your enemy! Or else, it will strike you instead… if you die, then Cocoon will be destroyed, too!_

Yet Lightning's hand can't move any further.

She just _can't_ kill Serah. Serah is her sister… the one she loves with her life.

* * *

><p><em>Lightning... It flashes bright... <em>

* * *

><p>—And that's when Serah stabs Blazefire Saber into Lightning's midriff, right between her ribs. The sword tears all the way through her body mercilessly, burying itself to the hilt. As its reddened blade exits from her back, crimson blood gushes out from the gaping wounds. Lightning gags as the red liquid flows out of her mouth as well.<p>

Darkness envelops her vision; intense pain spreads all over her body, stabbing every inch of flesh.

* * *

><p>…<em>then fades away.<em>


	47. Chapter 47

I snap back into consciousness when I feel something warm streaming all over my hands. My vision is blurry at first, my head hurts…

A small groan escapes my lips as my head throbs again.

_Where am I? What happened? What's this in my hands—_

However, right then my vision clears.

And I almost can't believe my own eyes.

_No… no, this can't be! _

"Lightning…!"

Lightning is standing hunched right in front of me—_bleeding. _Blazefire Saber is buried to the hilt in her midriff, blood gushing out in streams from around the blade. And not only that—the sword—the hands gripping its hilt are…

…Mine.

"No!" I gasp, terrified. Yet it is undeniable—no matter how long I stare at those hands, they still appear as mine. It was me—_I _was the one who stabbed Lightning.

Yet before I can do anything else, suddenly Lightning's body tilts forward. Her legs have given away—she falls onto her knees, bending over the blade in her stomach. I immediately follow suit, dropping to my knees as Lightning's head falls on my shoulder.

Slowly, I look down at my hands once again—and meet the sight of Lightning's blood flowing all over it. I can feel its warmth…

Uncontrollably, my hands tremble. _No… this can't be… how can I do this to Lightning?! How can I not remember anything?!_

However, right then a long pained moan escapes Lightning's lips. I glance at my trembling hands—and realize how every small movement I make must be hurting her. Hurriedly, I release the gunblade from my grip. I recall its blade's spiked edge; and realize in horror that there is no way to draw it out of Lightning's body safely since those spikes would only widen her wound.

Tears spring on my eyes, flowing slowly on my cheeks.

"No… no! This can't be… Lightning, I'm sorry! I'm so… sorry…"

My words turn into sobs; they are almost incoherent. Desperately, my arms cling onto Lightning, hugging her limp body.

I continue sobbing, saying sorry over and over again. My vision is blurred with tears, but I can still see clearly the blade jutting out from Lightning's back, laced in pure crimson.

How can I do this to Lightning?! I was the one who stabbed her…!

"Hey… Serah… why are you crying?"

That sudden voice shocks me—I hurriedly glance at Lightning's face beside mine.

And see her blue eyes half-opened, gazing sidelong at me.

"Light…! You're…!"

However, right then Lightning coughs blood, the red liquid spluttering from her mouth. I quickly loosen my grip, afraid that I might be hurting her more. Fresh tears spring on my eyes as I helplessly watch Lightning's face twist in intense pain.

"Light… no, please, hang on! I'll go get Vanille…!" I release my grip on Lightning and make to stand up—but her hand suddenly grabs my wrist weakly.

"No… stay."

"But your wound—I can't—"

"Please..." Lightning cuts me, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Don't leave…"

My heart throbs; something in her voice renders me speechless, urging me to stay. Carefully, I kneel down on the blood-covered ground and wrap my arms around Lightning again, supporting her body with mine. As I do it, I heard Lightning sighing softly.

"Now that's… better. It doesn't… hurt so much anymore…"

"Light… oh, Light, I'm so sorry! I—I don't know what happened—I don't know how I could have—"

My words trail off as I hear Lightning chuckle. I struggle to blink tears away as I glance at her bloodstained face. Her eyes are shut—but a small smirk tugs at her lips.

"Hey… it's okay. It wasn't you at all, Serah… It was Barthandelus—"

However, Lightning's words turn into a strangled gag as more blood splutters from her mouth. The soldier winces angrily, struggling to regain her voice.

"Light, stop talking! Save your energy—"

But despite a new wave of pain sweeps through her body, Lightning still smirks in bitter amusement at herself.

_Dammit… so this is how Blazefire Saber actually taste like. Somehow I can now empathize with all those monsters I've cut with it._

That recent cough shifts Lightning's body a little—and that's when I notice the Survival Knife held loosely in her trembling hand, positioned so close to my neck.

I stare at it in disbelief.

Wait… that means… Light could've stopped my attack if she would just stab me! But she didn't—she let me—

My lips tremble. "Lightning… why…?"

Upon hearing my question, Lightning's tired eyes open and follow my gaze downwards. She stares at the Survival Knife in her hand for a while, before chuckling softly. With that she lets go of the knife, which clatters harmlessly beside us.

"Heh… I told you… I'll strike every danger away from you, Serah. Even if that danger is myself, even if I have to… fade away… as long as I can get you back, alive and safe…"

"But, Light! It was my fault—I was the one who—!"

"It's not… your fault. You come back to me. That's quite a feat… to break free from Barthandelus's spell, y'know?" Lightning whispers, her voice starting to tremble. Yet her lips form a smile.

"You're strong…and I'm proud of you, Serah. As always…"

"What are you saying?!" I almost shout in despair; right now, I can almost feel Lightning's life fading away. She is in so much pain, yet she continues to talk without paying attention to the blood flowing freely out of her wounds.

"I'm glad… that you're here again by my side. That's all that matters… Thank you… Serah."

Then suddenly Lightning's head drops, her body weighing down entirely on my shoulder. My head jerks in surprise, my eyes staring wildly at her pale face. But she's already unconscious—she must have forced out all the strength she has left to talk.

Lightning is dying… because of me.

"No… no, Lightning! Please, wake up… open your eyes… please, sis…!"

Yet she remains silent, unmoving.

"Nooooo!"

I shake my head furiously, my hands clinging to Lightning desperately.

"Please… please, Light! Don't leave me! I can't—"

But my tears are flowing uncontrollably, my voice is trembling so much that I can no longer form words. I can only sob helplessly, kneeling in the midst of this empty grassland, hugging my sister in despair.

I thought everything was over, I thought I've lost Lightning…

—But that's when I hear the faint sound of her breathing. I blink my tears away hurriedly, glancing at Lightning's face again. Her eyes are still closed, blood still trickles from her lips… but despite that, I can definitely hear her short, laborious breathing.

Immediately my heart beats faster—my eyes flick to Blazefire Saber that is still wedged in Lightning's body. Right… the blade must be preventing her from breathing, causing her intense pain every time she even tries to inhale...!

If I am to save Lightning… then I have to pull the blade out first. Then I can seal her wound with Curaga! Lightning can still… be saved…

Without further ado, I grip Blazefire Saber's hilt with my right hand while still hugging Lightning's shoulders with my left hand. I breathe in deeply, struggling to stop my trembling…

…then firmly draw the gunblade out. The sound that the blade makes as it tears out of Lightning is hideous beyond imagination—I grit my teeth, struggling to stop tears from falling. Lightning's body jerks as the blade leaves her flesh and she coughs out even more blood, shivering greatly.

My hands tremble again—hurriedly, I throw Blazefire Saber clattering to the side. Then I press my right palm against the gaping wound on Lightning's midriff.

A soft whimper escapes my lips as I feel her blood flowing in rivulets between my fingers. I grit my teeth, burying my face in the nape of Lightning's neck to smother it. No, I must not be afraid now… Lightning becomes like this because of me… I have to save her…

I channel all my energy into the Curaga forming in my hand, but realize in horror that the spell is weak. Vaguely, I realize my own exhaustion. My Curaga doesn't seal Lightning's wound like I expected—instead, its weak glow only manages to stop Lightning's blood from flowing out. But this isn't enough—the wound is still opened! The moment I stop casting this Curaga, her blood would flow out again...

"No! I won't let you…!"

I cry out in desperation, pressing my palm tighter against Lightning, forcing myself to unleash a stronger Curaga. However, nothing changed; my weak spell only manages to maintain Lightning's heartbeat and nothing more. The moment my energy runs out… the spell would disappear, and… Lightning will…

…die.

I howl in despair, whispering Lightning's name over and over again. I can feel my energy depleting—the Curaga flickers erratically, ready to disperse anytime. I grit my teeth, feeling furious at myself.

_Why… why am I so weak?! Lightning has always protected me… this is all my fault… yet I can't even heal her! If only I'm stronger—_

But that's when my left arm suddenly flares in burning pain, pain so intense that I let out a scream. The pain almost blinded me—my vision turns blurry, so blurry that I can barely see anymore. The pain escalates—I scream again, hardly noticing the scarlet runes that are appearing on the ground all around me. Somehow, I keep my hand pressed on Lightning's wound, a feeble attempt to stop her bleeding—

Then it feels like my left arm just exploded. Even more pain spreads throughout my body—I scream and scream, sensing darkness creeping at the edges of my blurred vision.

Right at this moment, something huge suddenly shoots out from the scarlet runes on the ground; taking to the sky amidst blazing flames. It spins and twists in the air a few times before stopping, a deafening cry coming from it. Its cry makes me wince; it is so powerful, echoing with strength unfathomed. Then the creature suddenly unleashes an arrow of crimson flame at me.

"Aaaah!"

I cry out in pain as the attack hits me—it doesn't cause any wound, but it leaves burning sensation all over my body.

_This must be… Barthandelus's doing… he sent this monster…_

That's the only explanation I can think of; right now, my mind is so fogged with pain that I can barely think. The only thing I know is that… Lightning would die if I stop casting my healing spell.

Clenching my teeth to hold in the pain, I press my trembling palm against Lightning's wound once again. Because of that attack just now, my Curaga has dispersed into nothingness—Lightning's blood has begun flowing out again.

"Ugh!"

I force myself to create another Curaga, watching in desperation as the spell still doesn't seal Lightning's wound. Fearfully, I feel my consciousness fading… my energy is running low…

That's when another attack falls upon me, from the creature that is still floating up high in the air. I cry out again when it hits me; yet I continue channeling my energy into the Curaga, refusing to let it disperse like before. I can't let it disappear… Lightning…

More attacks come, some of them hitting the ground—causing deep cracks to appear. Those that hit me cause me to scream in pain, yet I continue ignoring them. I only focus on channeling my magic into Lightning's dying body, channeling my energy to keep her breathing, to keep her heart beating…

The attacks continue mercilessly. Despite the pain, I keep clenching my teeth stubbornly and continue casting my Curaga. I won't stop, even if I have to transfer my whole life energy to Lightning. That's the least I can do after stabbing my sister like that…

"Please, Light, live…"

As that whisper escapes my lips, a powerful attack hits me. I scream uncontrollably; my body thumps to the ground, Lightning falling beside me. Another attack hits the ground right next to me—a massive crack opens immediately, causing the entire plain to tremble heavily. But by now, I can't feel anything anymore.

I can only stare through my half-closed eyes at Lightning's pale face, praying desperately for her blue eyes to open once again. Somehow, my hand keeps pressing against Lightning's ruined midriff; transferring my healing magic, my life energy, for my sister.

I know that if I stop, Lightning will surely die. But at the same time, the mysterious attacks and the healing spells are sapping my life away as well… I'm not sure if I can continue this longer…

My vision starts to darken. Tiredly, I glance at my hand that's pressing against Lightning's wound. It has been covered in her blood by now, glistening red under the sun. Out of nowhere, a sad smile spreads on my lips.

_Maybe I'll die here… But that's okay, because at least I'll die beside her._

Another attack hits me square on my torso; I wince in pain, but otherwise ignore it.

…_After all, I don't want to live… in a world where Lightning no longer exists._

My eyes flick up to Lightning's face once again, another smile spreading on my lips as I whisper softly to her.

"Hey, Light… if we die here, do you think I can meet you again… in wherever place it is we're heading...?"

Darkness has almost engulfed me entirely by now—I breathe in deeply, half-struggling to escape its embrace—

When suddenly, the attacks that have been sapping my energy stop. Nothing more falls from the sky. Instead, a deep, booming voice comes from nowhere.

"You are strong."

That voice startled me—with the attacks stopped, some of my energy remains. I lift my head laboriously to look up—

And see a magnificent bird covered in flames swooping down from the sky right before me. His feathers are stunning—every time he moves, those countless facets of red and orange flicker like tongues of flames.

"Invoke my name."

Although the bird's powerful crimson beak doesn't move, but I know the voice comes from him. This is undoubtedly my first time seeing him—but somehow, I know his name.

In a voice barely more than a whisper, I invoke it.

"Phoe…nix…?"

Upon hearing my voice, the avian raises its fiery wings proudly.

"I yield to those who heal the wounded, to those whose magic saves others… You have withstood my repeated assault, for the sake of healing your comrade. For that, you have proven yourself worthy. From now on, I shall do all within my power to serve you in battles, m'lady."

His words echo in my head, yet I can barely understand. My brain is working far too slowly now because of exhaustion and pain. But I know there's only one thing I need…

"Then… can you heal her?" I whisper, gesturing weakly at Lightning.

"That and much more."

Upon hearing this, a wave of relief surges into me. I don't know why; I don't even know what this Phoenix is, why he is even helping me. I hardly even feel the ground trembling dangerously beneath me from his previous attacks.

But right then, the large crack beside me suddenly widens. I can feel my body slowly tumbling towards it, but darkness has enveloped my entire vision first before I can do anything.

A faint thought flits through my mind as I think about Phoenix again.

_Could he be… my Eidolon…?_

Right then, an eagle-like call rings through the air—Phoenix turns into a massive tongue of flame, sweeping across the ground, engulfing Lightning and me in crimson fire. In contrast to his previous attacks, this fire doesn't hurt at all…

* * *

><p>And so the Flames of Rebirth dance and flicker brighter than the sun, blanketing Lightning and Serah in their power. Then finally, along with Phoenix's cry, they flit to the sky and disappear.<p>

* * *

><p>Slowly, Serah's limp body falls into the deep crack in the ground.<p>

* * *

><p><em>AN:_ Whoa, I've never enjoyed being called mean/evil/cruel/depressing this much before xDD Hehe, but yeah, here's a fast update to redeem the previous chapter's cliffhanger! :P Thanks so much for the reviews, you are all so kind, my lords and ladies *bows* umm but sadly I don't think I can update as fast again in the next few weeks. Cos my parents are taking me and my sis for a two-weeks holiday trip this weekend, and forbid my laptop from joining us ;_; so… yeah. I guess the next update will take longer than this, sorryyy. But regardless, I hope you guys like this chapter.

To **Kirika-slash-Raikik**, hi again! Hehe, of course I remember you. Fondly. :P Oh, and no need to apologize! I'm already very glad that you like this fic, AND LightningxVanille :P And yesss Lightning is the best sister ever! She is the most selfless person I've ever known. Even in the game, she's always ready to protect Serah regardless of the dangers she must face. So, because you ask (beg) for a fast update, so here it is for youuu :D I know it's shorter than the usual, but at least it's fast, hehe.

**flynn**: yooo 8D OMG sorry for making you cannot sleep. Hope you don't get panda eyes :P But yeah! Thanks a lot for your reviews! Thaaanks, you've really made me feel so happy. Now, this fast update's for you :D Hope it answers your questions, so you can sleep peacefully again :P

**sgt farron ff 13**: Hey, thanks again for the review! Hehe, and for the 'Lightning Returns' reference :3 I really love how the entire FF13 series are so meaningful! In FF13 Vanille said, "The thirteen days after we awoke were the beginning of the end," and now in Lightning Returns they make it "The last thirteen days." Totally cool. Especially cos the game's to be released in 2013 :,) Um, but yeah! Hope you like this chapter :P


	48. Chapter 48

I know I'm falling, but I'm too weak to move. My eyes remain closed… it feels like I've been falling for ages, floating through this darkness without any clue of the passing of time. I don't know how far I've fallen—does this abyss even have an end…?

* * *

><p>Then suddenly amidst that darkness, a strong hand grabs my arm; jerking my falling body to an abrupt stop. I twitch in surprise when all feelings return to my body. Painfully, my eyes snap open—right to see the gaping darkness beneath me.<p>

"Ah!"

The sight causes me to cry out in panic, eyes wild as I look at the yawning abyss directly below me.

However, right then the hand gripping my arm pulls me up. Before I know it, my body has tumbled on the sunlit ground again—with my savior crouching right beside me.

Still gasping for breath, I look up…

…And my blue eyes meet their twins.

It feels like my heart just burst with relief. Immediately I let out a happy shout, throwing myself into _her _arms.

"Lightning!"

Maybe I tackled her a bit too eagerly; Lightning loses her balance under my weight, and we both crash hard to the ground. But I don't care. I continue hugging her tightly, tears streaming down my face.

"Light… sis, you're alive…!"

Lightning is there, all right. Alive, all healed, safe in my arms. I whimper into her shoulder, relieved to feel her body no longer limp and weak.

At this puppy-like enthusiasm from me, Lightning rolls her eyes and smirks slightly.

"Yeah, of course… thanks to you."

The sound of her voice makes me sob again, and I release my grip around Lightning to wipe the tears. Gingerly, I get off her and kneel on the ground while still sobbing slightly.

Letting out a grunt, Lightning sits up as well—and out of a sudden, reaches forward to flick my forehead.

"Ouch! Hey, that hurt!" I protest, rubbing the sore spot.

Lightning simply chuckles. "Anyway… Nice Eidolon, little crybaby."

I gaze into her blue eyes, relief flooding me again when I see them no longer fogged with pain. Despite I'm still half-sobbing, I giggle.

"So he really is my Eidolon? Y'know, I never thought I'd actually get one for myself…"

"Neither did I, before Odin popped out of nowhere that night. But still, your Phoenix's Flames of Rebirth was very useful. I really have to thank you for that."

Hesitantly, I glance at Lightning's midriff. At the place where that large wound was gaping a few minutes ago… there is now nothing. There is not a single sign of that wound ever being there. Her blood has even disappeared. At this sight, tears spring on my eyes again.

But Lightning's next words totally shock me.

"Now, Serah… I've got to go."

My eyes widen in surprise. I stare at Lightning in disbelief, transfixed as I watch her standing up and grabbing her Blazefire Saber. Absentmindedly, she wipes its blade clean on the grass before holstering it.

"But… Light! You just got hurt really badly—you shouldn't be moving around!" I stutter.

However, Lightning simply lets out an amused scoff.

"Hey, don't worry. Your Phoenix has completely healed me. I don't even feel tired anymore now—better use this chance to stop Barthandelus, right?"

I fall quiet, incredulous. Right… I almost forgot Barthandelus is still out there. If we leave him be, he'll continue harming Cocoon.

But I can't just let Lightning out of my sight again after everything that's happened!

Sensing my fear, Lightning sighs and bends on one knee in front of me. We are now at eye-level—I can gaze straight into her strong blue eyes. And those eyes are now shining with fierce determination.

"Serah, listen. You know we have to stop Barthandelus at all costs. You know we can't waste this chance! Don't you worry, I'm really all healed. I've injured him, Serah, I can definitely defeat him now. I've got to chase him, I can't let this chance slip."

Although reluctantly, I realize she is right… as always. Yet I still frown in denial.

"Then… then I'm coming with you, Light! I'll help you fight—"

"No. You go back to Vanille and the others."

"What—"

However, Lightning cuts my protest by gripping my wrist tightly. Her blue eyes bore into mine.

"You can't fight anymore, Serah. Morning Glory is destroyed—and you are still exhausted. Some of Phoenix's Flames of Rebirth did heal you, but not fully. Barthandelus will only target you if you come with me."

I fall silent, not wanting to believe her words. But what she said is painfully true.

"Go back to Vanille, Serah. Help her heal the others; they've gotten hurt really badly protecting Palumpolum. Right now, they need you more than I do."

With that, Lightning stands up again. I look up at her immediately, still reluctant to let her go.

Lightning sighs again when she sees my pleading eyes.

"I promise I'll come back to you, Serah. Just like you did."

And those words somehow render me speechless immediately. Because I know when Lightning makes a promise, she means to keep it.

I look down, finally relenting.

"Alright then… but be careful!" I warn her sternly. Lightning smirks, nodding without saying anything.

Then before I can say anything else, she dashes towards Barthandelus's portal. As she passes Fafnir, she swiftly grabs it from the ground. Then Lightning leaps into the portal and disappears from my sight.

Just like that. In a flash, she's gone. Typical.

I stare blankly at the portal. I'm still worried for her, that's normal with her foolhardy tendency… but... I also believe in her promise. Even after everything that's happened, Lightning has always kept her promises to me.

And so, despite still numb from all my recent exertion, I force my legs to support me as I stand.

"Please come back alive… sis."

With that whisper, I quickly steady myself and sprint back to where I left Vanille and the others.

* * *

><p>Across the bright grassland of Archylte Steppe, Lightning sprints. When she emerged from Barthandelus's portal a few minutes ago, she had found herself in the Central Expanse of the Steppe. Deep trenches in the ground showed her where the massive fal'Cie had strode—so without wasting any second, the soldier took off after him.<p>

As she dashed across the empty Steppe though, Lightning hesitantly runs a hand through her midriff, chancing a glance upon it.

Amazing... Less than ten minutes ago, it was stabbed all the way through. She literally had a gaping hole straight through her torso. Hell, she can even still remember how it felt when the blade sliced through her flesh.

But now... There's nothing there. No wound, no blood, no scar, nothing. Every muscle in her midriff is exactly as it was before. Not even a shred of pain lingers... As if she wasn't even hurt to begin with. Really, Phoenix's healing abilities are most remarkable. Subconsciously, Lightning feels a deep pride for Serah, for mastering such a powerful Eidolon all by herself.

However, right then another tongue of flame erupts within Fafnir's blade with a distinct crackle. Lightning glances at the sword in her right hand, nodding slightly. Good. She is getting nearer to Barthandelus…

At this thought of how close she is to the fal'Cie, Lightning's anger flares up. She recalls how much Barthandelus has hurt Serah, and grits her teeth in fury. True that he didn't exactly clobber her sister or something, but what he did was far worse. He has controlled Serah's mind, forcing her to do things against her will.

That horrified look Lightning saw in Serah's eyes when she noticed the blood-covered gunblade in her hands... it hurt Lightning more than the wound, inflicting her with pain far greater than that from the blade still wedged in her torso. That look was enough to tell Lightning how much Barthandelus's control—and the actions she was forced to do—have hurt Serah.

And knowing her sister… Lightning is sure that Serah must be blaming herself right now, accusing herself as a monster, horrified by her own actions…

_But it's not your fault._

Lightning shakes her head in anger. Whatever Serah did was really out of her control, out of her conscious will. It's not her fault at all… she shouldn't have to feel guilty at all.

Lightning clenches her jaws. She would have to talk to Serah after this… she'd have to tell her that it wasn't her fault. She won't let Serah keep living in guilt over something Barthandelus did.

That's why... Lightning can't lose now. No matter what happens, she won't let Barthandelus defeat her.

She still has so much to tell Serah... and some other friends worth living for.

Yet Barthandelus has hurt all these people precious to her…

Clenching her jaws, the soldier forces herself to dash faster.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Lightning skids to a halt in the midst of the Northern Highlands. Beyond her the steppe stretches for a few meters more, before descending sharply into a deep, wide ravine that tears the land so much like the one near Palumpolum. High above her, though, floats the lofty bulk of Cocoon.<p>

And standing in the massive sphere's shadow, all healed and without a scratch on his armor-like body… is the fal'Cie Barthandelus.

Right then the wind blows gently, sending Lightning's torn overcoat fluttering. Yet the soldier ignores it, her piercing blue eyes glaring coldly at the fal'Cie before her. Gripped firmly in her right hand, Fafnir blazes as brightly as the afternoon sun.

Similarly, Barthandelus keeps perfectly still as his dark eyes regard Lightning. He observes her midriff, smirking slightly when he sees it all healed.

Finally, the fal'Cie breaks the silence. Grinning menacingly, he stares straight into Lightning's eyes.

"So, how did it feel to have an air hole through your torso, Lightning Farron? Easier to breathe, I reckon. "

Lightning doesn't answer; but her grip on Fafnir tightens.

Barthandelus laughs.

"Come on now, don't give me that look. It's not like I was the one stabbing you, right?" he grins. "No, it was really your own sister. Such love... how tragic."

At this, Lightning growls through her clenched teeth. "_You_ made her do it."

The fal'Cie scoffs in reply. "Ha! But I wouldn't have managed to control her that well, if she hasn't possessed some _hatred_ in her heart, right?"

Beside herself, Lightning frowns.

"Yes, you heard me, Lightning Farron. The sister you love so much keeps a hatred for you deep in her heart. What would you expect her to feel after all, for an older sister who is rarely at home, always working and hardly spends time with her?" Barthandelus grins ominously. "She's always had this grudge and resentment growing in her heart, so I simply enhanced and exploited those feelings. Thus… I reckon she felt jubilant when she stabbed you back there."

Lightning can't take it anymore—she shouts furiously at the grinning fal'Cie before her. "Don't you dare blame Serah for your despicable deeds!"

However, Barthandelus merely chuckles.

"Oh, face it, pitiful child. No matter what, your sister will never love you as unconditionally as you love her. That's why, love is a weakness! Had you not have it, you would've been able to strike your sister aside and defeat me back there at Palumpolum. Yet because of it, now you've missed that chance and have to face me again!"

With these words, Barthandelus laughs again loudly. However, he has not expected Lightning's reaction…

The soldier is smirking faintly.

Upon seeing this, Barthandelus raises his eyebrows challengingly. "Do you crave any last words, before I tear your flesh into shreds?"

Lightning shrugs. "That's where you're wrong," she answers calmly. "I've never expected Serah to love me _unconditionally_, not once. She's not my pet; she's free to do and feel whatever she wants. I wouldn't even blame her if she hates me... as long as she's happy with her life. Besides, it's exactly because of her that I can have someone worth dying for _and_ living for. It's because of her that I can keep fighting, even in death throes."

At this, Lightning's sharp blue eyes flick up to look straight at Barthandelus.

"I will defeat you, and survive."

Upon hearing these bold words of defiance, Barthandelus lets out a long, furious roar. He stomps his massive fists on the ground; preparing to attack.

"You are a foolish, pitiful being, Lightning Farron! Believe in whatever you want, but let me tell you this: your love for your sister is your sole weakness! Without it, you would've been invincible. But now, it shall wrought your demise!"

Despite this menacing sight, Lightning merely smirks nonchalantly. "I've never expected a fal'Cie to share my belief after all," she replies. "Y'know what, I don't even care if it is indeed my weakness like you said."

With that, Lightning raises Fafnir before her, ready to welcome Barthandelus's claws.

"Because if I don't have it... then I would really be a monster like you. And I'd rather die human, than live a monster."

Barthandelus has heard enough. With a murderous roar, he strikes forward.

* * *

><p>"Vanille!"<p>

Finally I spot her; kneeling on the soft grass, her hands busy casting Cura for Snow. All around her, I think I see the others' slumped bodies resting against rocks. At this area, the ravine has almost come to its end; it is much shallower, enabling me to even glimpse its base.

Silently, I let out a long, trembling sigh. I've dashed to find the others right after Lightning left, sprinting across the charred grassland of Palumpolum's outskirts. However, as I ran… flashes of images appeared in my mind, images that I could not recognize as my memories.

Yet soon I realized what they were.

They were images that my body saw, when I was under Barthandelus's control. In a way, they _are _my memories—except I can't remember them. And I'd rather not…

A painful throb stabs my chest, causing me to shudder. Those images…

I saw myself clashing weapons with Lightning, Morning Glory held with murderous intent in my hands. I saw the beautiful bow breaking into smithereens under Lightning's strength, its broken pieces scattering around. I saw myself dashing towards Lightning with Blazefire Saber raised by my side… and stabbing the blade into Lightning's torso.

Here a soft whimper escapes my lips; I quickly suppress it. No, right now I can't be distraught. I need to focus—the others would need my help. Vanille has heard my shout; she is looking up, her eyes shining in relief when she sees me sprinting towards her.

"Serah!"

"I'm back, Vanille… How's… the others?" I ask, slightly out of breath as I skid to a halt beside her.

Yet before Vanille can answer, a hoarse voice answers me.

"We're fine, little pink one. Except that big bloke over there; he still needs a few extra Cure before he can sober up again."

It's my turn to look up in surprise now—and my eyes meet Fang's jade-colored ones. The huntress is sitting slumped against a rock, a hand clutching her side; but conscious all right. She gives me a bitter, tired smirk.

"Don't look so surprised now. Vanille has managed to heal most of us while you were gone."

She's right; a few scuffling noises make me glance around, and see Sazh and Hope resting against rocks as well. Hope smiles weakly at me—Sazh rolls his eyes and groans in pain, cradling his arm. On his knee, his chocobo chick is chirping and fretting around.

"Oh! Welcome back, Snow!"

That happy squeal from Vanille draws my attention—before her, Snow has sit up, holding his head.

"Uugh, I feel like a horde of Behemoths just stomped on me… That damned fal'Cie's attack was crazy…" he groans.

Then Snow fully notices his surroundings.

"Hey! Where are we? Where's Palumpolum? How can you guys be all here—and Serah, too! Whoa, what have I missed?" he rants.

I wave hurriedly at Snow, start casting my own Cura for Hope while Vanille recounts everything that's happened. I listened intently when she reaches the part after I left her; breathing in relief when I learned that nothing bad has befallen her. When she's finished, I've healed Hope fully. He's now able to move around again, and immediately helps me and Vanille in healing the others.

For the next few minutes, Vanille, Hope and I work over the others' injuries. Without much talk, we seal the last wound; and with that, everyone is finally fully healed despite still exhausted.

"Hey Serah… where's Lightning?" Vanille suddenly asks hesitantly. "Is she still…?"

I bite my lip upon hearing the question; yet I know I'd have to answer sooner or later. With somewhat trembling voice, I force myself to tell them the whole story… and what I've done to Lightning.

* * *

><p>Everyone has fallen quiet after hearing my recount. Even Fang seems to be in a loss of words. But she is the only one still holding her glare at me—the others have cast their glances away, too overwhelmed by the news.<p>

"And that's… it," I conclude emptily. "We should go now, and help Light—"

"HELP HER?!"

My head snaps up in surprise when that shout of Fang's echoes through the area. I stare wide-eyed at her, transfixed.

As our eyes lock, Fang growls at me. "Help _her? _How can you talk so easily about helping Light, when you couldn't even help yourself?" the huntress snarls, her voice turning alarmingly hostile. Beside her, I see Vanille eyeing her warily, hand raised halfway as if uncertain of what to do.

"I… I don't know what you're—"

"Oh, you know damn well what I'm talking about," Fang sneers, her eyes glaring as she grips her lance so tightly that her knuckles turn white. She seems to be having trouble voicing out her thoughts—but eventually, she explodes.

"How the hell could you do THAT to Lightning?!" Fang roars as she jabs her lance furiously into the ground. "She is your sister, dammit! How in Gran Pulse could you _not _resist Barthandelus's control? Is your will really that weak?! You could've at least tried to fight him from taking full control over you! You could've… resisted moving or something!"

Fang's words stab me painfully like knives—I let out a small gasp, tears start forming in my eyes again. But I hold them in—because I know that I deserve those words. Silently, I've been cursing myself for not being able to resist Barthandelus's control at all. I couldn't even remember about it—all I recall was those lustrous vines of his capturing me, before my mind went blank. When I regain consciousness again, Lightning is already in front of me… bleeding.

Yet Lightning wasn't the least bit angry with me. No, she thanked me instead… for _saving _her. Why? Why didn't she hate me? I was the one stabbing her… yet she acted as if it wasn't my fault, as if I wasn't to blame at all… Frankly, I would rather she hate me after what I've done to her. Because I don't deserve to be forgiven so quickly like that… I _stabbed _her, for Etro's sake. And from the earlier visions I saw, it seems I have repeatedly clobbered her too…

Fang's fury is fully justified. Lightning is her friend, her battle partner. She just can't accept anyone hurting Lightning like that, especially when Lightning couldn't retaliate. Even now, I can see the deep worry behind the blazing anger in those jade-colored eyes.

Thus I keep quiet before Fang's fury, trembling slightly in my effort to fight back the tears.

"Don't you realize how far Lightning would go to save you?! She would sooner take her own life than slashing a single cut on you! Why can't you do the same—"

"Fang, that's enough!"

That sudden shout cuts Fang off—the huntress' glance snaps to Vanille, who has stepped between us.

"Stop it, Fang," Vanille says quietly but sternly. "You know how strong Barthandelus is. It's unfair to shift all the blame to Serah; that fal'Cie's control must have been very strong! It's not our place to judge her. Besides, Serah's healed Lightning—and Lightning doesn't even blame her, right?No, Light knows it wasn't her fault. It was Barthandelus all along!"

At this, Fang narrows her eyes at Vanille, her angry growl rumbling. "At least she could've tried to resist—"

"How would you feel if _I _stabbed you, Fang? And you know that Barthandelus was controlling me?"

Upon hearing this question, Fang falls silent. Her gaze drops; she stares grudgingly at her lance's blade that is half-buried in the ground.

"You know you would do exactly what Lightning did. You wouldn't blame me. You—"

"Alright, fine, I get it!" Fang growls abruptly, stopping Vanille from speaking further. The redhead raises her eyebrows at her; with a sigh, Fang looks up at me.

"Sorry."

I shake my head to show she doesn't have to—but Vanille has walked over and grabbed me into a tight hug.

"It's okay, Serah. We won't judge you; not when Lightning clearly doesn't think you're responsible. Don't mind Fang, okay? She's just upset…"

"Enough of this," Fang grunts. She pulls her lance decisively from the ground, strapping it onto her back with the extension of the same movement. "Light is still out there, right? Come on, we've got to aid her. Don't waste any more time!"

Fang's words affect us all; with silent haste, Sazh and Hope straighten up while Snow tightens his bandanna. After all that ruckus, the guys remain quiet, uncertain of what to do or say. But clearly they are worried about Light. Vanille huffs, patting my shoulder briefly before walking over to Fang's side. Quietly, I wipe off the few tears that have just managed to fall. Fang's right; I can worry about all that later. Right now, we have to get to Lightning—

However, right then a shrill cry pierces through the air, startling us. My eyes widen when a dark shadow suddenly dawns upon us from above with terrifying speed. Hastily, we look up in alarm.

* * *

><p><em>This isn't good.<em>

Lightning dashes; a set of claws fall right on the spot where she had been a second before. Letting out a grunt, she makes another quick dash backwards; just in time to dodge the second set of claws seeking to tear her to shreds. The soldier hastily raises Fafnir—which immediately clangs heavily against the next assault. The impact force is so great, it jars her arms to the shoulders. Muttering a curse, Lightning unleashes Aerora at Barthandelus's outstretched fist to gain some distance from the rampaging fal'Cie.

Right… Ever since this battle started, Lightning has been forced to be on the defensive. To her dismay, she's found out that Barthandelus has gotten far stronger than he ever was.

_Damn this fal'Cie… how the hell can he keep getting stronger?! _Lightning curses as she rolls away from the barrage of Baptism in Ruin.

The soldier leaps back to her feet—but that's when her left arm throbs.

It was only for a second; Lightning only closed her eyes in pain for a second. Yet Barthandelus has used the chance to land a hit on her.

The fal'Cie's claws swipe, making a firm contact—

—with Fafnir.

On the last split second, Lightning has managed to raise the fire sword before her. She grits her teeth, struggling to shove the massive fist away from her. But then… that's when she notices Barthandelus's grin. The fal'Cie raises his other hand.

WHAM!

Lightning grits her teeth when the pain explodes; Barthandelus just slammed her to the ground, the impact ramming heavily into her side. Despite feeling a nasty bruise forming, the soldier forces herself to ignore it and roll away from Barthandelus's next attacks.

_And this old-timer fal'Cie has certainly gained speed, too,_ she muses grimly.

In all her previous battles against Barthandelus, Lightning has always managed to gain the upper hand in terms of speed. She is always much faster than the fal'Cie, enabling her to dodge his devastating attacks and land frequent attacks on him. Her speed is especially useful as Barthandelus is naturally a slow fighter. His massive bulk by itself has reduced his mobility greatly; true that his attacks are very powerful, but they are slow. All this time, Lightning has been counting on this one window of weakness to defeat Barthandelus.

But now… the fal'Cie has gotten much faster. So fast, in fact, that he's managed to coerce Lightning into the defensive. His powerful attacks come relentlessly in rapid succession—if Lightning lets up for just a second, they would hit her mercilessly. Like what happened just now.

As Lightning desperately sprints away from a rain of Ruin spells, her sharp blue eyes observe her opponent. Now that she's gotten a close look at him… she realizes that Barthandelus's body is considerably smaller than before. Currently, he is roughly the size of a King Behemoth. That's it; he's given up some of his brute strength in favor of speed.

Silently, Lightning curses. Despite her undaunted expression, the soldier is actually worried. Barthandelus is far stronger than her; that's a given. But now he's fast as well? How can she dodge all those devastating attacks if they come so quickly…?

Shaking her head in anger, Lightning somersaults as high as possible to dodge an exploding Ruinga. No, she won't let Barthandelus intimidate her. He might be fast; but she shall be faster. If he wants quick, relentless barrage of attacks… then he'll get it.

However, that being decided, Lightning still has another problem weighing her. As she lands on the ground a few meters away from Barthandelus, the soldier grudgingly glances at her left arm.

It's covered in cuts.

Across the plains before her, Barthandelus roars; raising his left arm that is also covered in cuts.

And all the while, Fafnir blazes ever so brightly.

Lightning frowns angrily. This… sword… she isn't sure how, but it feels as if Fafnir knows that she has exploited its powers without paying the flesh price, back then in Palumpolum where she used it as a kusarigama. It feels like the sword is demanding his 'payment' back; Lightning has noticed this the painful way.

Right… it happened ever since the first time she managed to slash Barthandelus's upper arm, a few moments after this battle started.

She _was _expecting the pain; she _was _expecting Fafnir to burn her flesh. She's glanced at her hand that grips Fafnir, waiting for the skin to be scorched away.

But Lightning hadn't expected the long cut that suddenly appeared on her upper arm, right on the spot where she slashed Barthandelus.

The last time she used Fafnir… it burned her skin on the parts that touched the sword. But it wasn't serious; she could still hold in the sting. Besides, those burn wounds do not bleed much. She could still manage…

But this time—this time it's different. Fafnir no longer burns her flesh. No, it demands more. Now, every time Lightning hurts Barthandelus using the sword… it would hurt her as well, exactly on the spot where she wounded Barthandelus. Her wounds seem to be shallower than Barthandelus's, but they badly sap her energy and stamina.

_Damn sword…_

A sudden flurry of elemental punches from Barthandelus cuts Lightning's musings short. Out of reflex, the soldier casts Protect and Shell around herself—there is no time to dodge.

She's made a wise choice.

Because Barthandelus was clearly expecting her to dodge his punches. He hasn't expected to have his assault greeted by the shimmering wall of Protect and Shell, which bounced his fists away.

He staggers.

Upon seeing this chance, Lightning immediately unleashes her attack, slashing Fafnir savagely at Barthandelus's outstretched fist.

A pained roar; the fal'Cie recoils; Fafnir burns its way across his knuckles, creating a wound that is so deep it almost cuts his clawed fingers off. However, at the same time Lightning hisses in pain as well.

The soldier drops to one knee, furiously clutching her left hand to stop the flow of blood which has suddenly spurted from beneath her glove. Gingerly, Lightning pulls the glove off; wincing when it grazes her wound. Then she stares at the damage Fafnir has wrought upon her.

A long gash has formed across Lightning's knuckles, identical despite shallower than Barthandelus's. Gritting her teeth, Lightning tries to form a fist—and has to bite back a pained cry when that mere flex causes her left hand to flare excruciatingly.

Lightning curses. Slashing Barthandelus's fist was a bad idea; now she can't use her own either. Fortunately, it is only her left hand... she can rely on her right for the time being. But if it comes to emergency situation, the soldier knows she can still force her left hand to function. But not now.

As she regains her footing, Lightning feels her frustration welling up. This situation is more than dire; if anything, it can be classified as 'desperate.'

Just imagine. Barthandelus has gotten faster and stronger, forcing her to defend most of the time. But even when she gets the rare opportunity to attack, Fafnir's backlash still weighs her down. More than once, Lightning has stopped her attack to Barthandelus's vital areas in her reluctance to let Fafnir damage her own vitals. Her wariness is proven wise of course, by this newest gash Fafnir just inflicted on her knuckles.

By now, Barthandelus has recovered as well. He straightens up, looming menacingly before Lightning. As he watches the blood dripping off her limp left hand, the fal'Cie grins.

"Just as I told you… you have no chance of winning, Lightning Farron. If you attack, Fafnir shall burn your flesh; yet if you don't attack, then _I_ shall tear you to shreds instead! Ha! Let's see which death path you would pick!" Barthandelus laughs in malevolent glee.

Lightning clenches her teeth. Right now, it feels like she's being asked to pick her own poison. Whatever she chooses, the result is still undesirable.

_Damn. _

She has no time to think; Barthandelus's next attacks have descended upon her again.

Grunting in frustration, Lightning lifts Fafnir up. There's no use cursing the sword's bloodlust now; she has to deal with it. From her observations, the soldier has made a rough guess that the wounds Fafnir inflicts on her are merely half as deep as Barthandelus's. She can handle this…

With that, the two nemesis clash upon each other once again.

* * *

><p>"I've totally forgotten that damn fal'Cie keeps this bird!"<p>

That shout from Snow rings through the air as he sprints away from a rain of laser-like attack.

He tumbles; quickly I send Shell to protect him from the attack. He is lucky that the laser disperses right as it hits the Shell—if it was in full power, even Shell wouldn't suffice to protect Snow from being cut clean into two.

"Thanks, Serah!" Snow shouts as he jumps back to his feet.

"SAVE THE GRATITUDE FOR LATER, IDIOT!"

Snow cringes when that furious roar from Fang echoes through the ravines. The huntress has jumped towards the enemy in her effort to deal a direct physical blow—but she, too, fails.

Before Fang can even get two meters close to the enemy, it has unleashed a barrage of explosions at her. Vanille squeals; with remarkable speed, she casts Protect for Fang. It saved the huntress; the spell protects her from the brunt of the explosions. However, their force still blows Fang aback to land heavily on her feet beside the rest of us.

"Damn… we really can't get close."

Silently, I feel despair starting to build up. We shouldn't be here; we should be joining Lightning by now, aiding her! She's still alone out there, fighting Barthandelus… we have to get to her now…!

Yet all that has been turned impossible, by the sudden appearance of Mnerva right before we chase after Lightning.

Right… Barthandelus's demi-fal'Cie pet. The mysterious silver owl whom we suspect to have heavy links with Barthandelus's regeneration abilities.

But right now, the small silver owl guise is nowhere to be seen. When it attacked us, Mnerva was already in a battleship form. We've seen it done that before in the Palamecia; changing shape into a giant airship to aid Barthandelus's escape. But now it turns out to be able to change into a battleship as well, complete with all the deadly artillery.

We are basically attempting to strike down a flying war fortress now.

I hiss in frustration. Mnerva is blocking our path, preventing us from going after Lightning. But it is not merely blocking our path, of course. Oh, the usual business: it is trying to blow us into smithereens. Just like a proper Sanctum fal'Cie.

Luckily, so far we've been doing well in avoiding Mnerva's attacks. They are indeed powerful, but slow enough to be foreseen and dodged. But the trouble is, we can't attack Mnerva.

We've been trying all this time—using feints, decoys, and even brute strength like what Snow and Fang did—but not once did we manage to land a physical hit on Mnerva. The demi-fal'Cie keeps its distance from us with its devastating firearm attacks, thus limiting our offensive scope. Moreover, its armor-like body seems to be resistant to magic. The damage that our spells caused on it is considerably lower than usual…

"Look out!"

That shout from Sazh alerts us just on time; from behind the smoke from its previous attack, Mnerva has shot out a barrage of bullets. Yelping, I throw myself sideways, praying that the Protect spell I cast on myself earlier hasn't dispersed. To my relief, it hasn't. A couple of bullets deflect straight off it.

However, Snow isn't as lucky.

Even before I straighten up, I hear his cry of pain. I spin my head, searching for him—and spots Hope already casting Curaga for Snow's back, which has been torn by one of the bullets.

After huffing in relief as I watch the wound close, I turn my attention back to Mnerva. By now Fang, Vanille and Sazh are feverishly attacking it with their magic. Without hesitation, I join the fray; all the time thinking about Morning Glory wistfully.

But my trustworthy bow is already destroyed. Morning Glory is gone, and it was my own fault. No use lamenting; right now I have to focus on striking this oversized bird down! We have to hurry… Lightning…

* * *

><p><em>This is easily… the craziest battle I've ever been engaged in… <em>

Lightning grimaces in pain; a deep stab wound has just appeared on her left arm, bleeding profusely. The soldier glances at it, hissing when what she sees doesn't make her feel good at all. But on the more positive side, right before her Barthandelus is flailing in pain as well. An identical—if deeper—wound has injured his arm, some remnants of Fafnir's flames licking its sides.

Lightning grits her teeth as she clutches her arm and stands up painfully. She can feel the wound pulsating, blood flowing out steadily with each burning throb. The soldier gazes sidelong at her left arm ruefully. In her effort to minimize Fafnir's damage on herself, Lightning has focused her attacks solely on Barthandelus's left arm. Thus, the wounds she sustains are only limited to that particular limb instead of her vitals. Yet now her entire left arm has been wounded so badly that she can barely move it anymore.

_Tch. I was planning on saving the magic… but being thrifty isn't an option now._

Warily, Lightning casts Cura on her most recent wound. Fleeting relief sweeps through her as the pain disappears, but soon the feeling disperses as well. Now the other smaller cuts along her arm are acting up.

Rolling her eyes, Lightning decides not to use more healing spells. If she keeps using them, her magic would run out in no time. And Lightning is damn sure that she'll still need her Wrath of Heavens later.

Barthandelus has recovered too by now; with a furious roar, the fal'Cie unleashes his Baptism in Ruin at Lightning.

Forcing her legs to obey her, Lightning sprints away from the spells' reach. She can feel her stamina sinking steadily, but it's no wonder considering she's been fighting since the morning. And now is already late afternoon…

_More insanity has happened today than it could've been in a decade._

Cursing inwardly, Lightning skids to a halt and casts Protect and Shell for herself. This battle is really insane; Barthandelus rampaging on one side, Fafnir drooling for blood on _her _side. Put it simply, whatever Lightning does only results on herself getting hurt one way or another. If it's not Barthandelus's claws or spells, it'd be Fafnir.

But while Barthandelus can easily aim his attacks at Lightning's vitals, the soldier cannot do likewise. There's Fafnir's backlash weighing her down.

_Damn… how can I win if I have to avoid his vitals?! _

However, right then Lightning's eyes widen in alarm when she perceives Barthandelus opening his jaws. She knows that telltale sign all too well.

Tharnatosian Laughter.

Three seconds were all she had; yet in those three short seconds, Lightning has managed to strengthen her protective buffs and even raised Fafnir as she applies Steelguard.

Then the devastating attack hits her, ramming furiously against her shields in raging torrents. Not only that; the attack has even hit nearby rocks, shattering them into hefty pieces which shoot out in all directions. Some of those rock fragments hit Lightning's weakening shields; one in particular manages to go through them, but luckily bounces off the raised Fafnir.

It feels like she's trying to hold off a tempest.

Lightning groans as she feels her shields waning. She grips Fafnir with both hands now, in her struggle to block the assault. However, this has caused the wound across her left knuckles to bleed again. Crimson blood flows in a thin rivulet down Fafnir's hilt to its blazing blade. Lightning shuts her eyes, stubbornly refusing to collapse... and thus she doesn't notice the trail of blood disappearing, as if absorbed into Fafnir's blade itself.

However, right then Lightning's legs suddenly tremble—threatening to give away. The soldier growls through her clenched teeth.

_Hang on a little… longer… these attacks will surely end soon! _Lightning shouts inwardly at herself._ If you fall now, Barthandelus can easily stroll over and slit your throat. You're not done living, right?_

At this thought, Lightning's lips curl into a bitter smirk.

Yeah… this battle might be unwinnable. It might even be suicidal… but then again, she can't give up now. Because giving up means death, plain and simple.

_I'm sure as hell not done living._

Growling furiously, Lightning steels herself and stands her ground. Her leg muscles scream in protest, but she ignores them. She won't die here, not a chance. She still needs to talk to Serah…

* * *

><p>Barthandelus scowls in fury.<p>

Despite Fafnir's heavy backlash, that cursed Lightning Farron has injured his left arm so greatly that he can no longer move it. It is hanging limp by his side now, entirely useless. A growl escapes the fal'Cie's clenched teeth.

_Darned woman…_

Even with his increased speed and power, Barthandelus still struggles against Lightning. He has noticed that the soldier has become stronger as well—probably results of her training when he was still regenerating in Orphan's Cradle.

Another growl.

Lightning Farron is surely formidable in swordplay; up till now, she's managed to block Barthandelus's claws and fists effectively, even landing a few hits on them. The only thing that saved him from getting his vitals slashed to shreds is Fafnir's backlash. Ironic… Exactly because of the sword she wields, Lightning Farron has to endure the same agony as he does whenever she slashes him.

Barthandelus shakes his head. No matter what, this battle is his to win. There is simply no way Lightning Farron can defeat him; she can't attack his vitals lest Fafnir devour hers. To put it simply, there are only two possible outcomes of this battle: him killing her, or her killing him but dying as well in the process thanks to Fafnir.

Barthandelus scoffs. He would undoubtedly go after the first outcome.

_I'll kill you and end your suffering, Farron!_

* * *

><p>Lightning lets out a ragged breath; slowly, she lowers Fafnir. Barthandelus's attack has stopped; smoke billows all around her, obscuring her vision. However, a glance at Fafnir's dimming blade tells her that Barthandelus is still a few distance away. That Tharnatosian Laughter has pushed her aback, away from the fal'Cie. Finally, a lull in the fight… she can use this respite.<p>

Lightning winces when her entire left arm suddenly throbs. A glance at it draws a sigh from her. Undoubtedly, her left arm is a gone case; almost unusable. The wounds covering it have begun bleeding again and Lightning can barely twitch a finger.

_At least Barthandelus is suffering this too, _she thinks grimly.

But that doesn't solve the problem… _how _is she going to defeat him if this continues?! Unless she is suicidal, she won't be able to attack his vitals at all—

"Agh!"

Lightning gasps; for out of a sudden, a familiar throb racks her midriff. The soldier's eyes widen in alarm and disbelief.

Because she recognized that throb... She's felt the same excruciating throbs so many times before, an experience she never wished to repeat. She thought it was over… but now… that throb in her midriff, from the center of her stomach to her waist…

_No way._

Lightning clenches her jaws as another throb racks her. Unbelieving as she may, that throb has confirmed her fear.

_Damn… as if I haven't got enough trouble already…_

Once again, Lightning's old wound from Yojimbo throbs.

* * *

><p><em>Something is wrong with her.<em>

Barthandelus narrows his eyes—carefully, he observes Lightning who has just dashed out of the smokes.

The fal'Cie can't quite pin it down; other than her somewhat healed left arm—presumably has just been healed less than a minute ago —he can't see other difference. But something is clearly amiss regarding her.

However, Barthandelus's musing is cut short when Lightning charges forward.

Now this is an anomaly. Lightning Farron is still wielding Fafnir… but compared to her careful approach before, now she looks rather rash. She's attacking so openly, as if she is in a hurry to finish the battle.

Barthandelus smirks. Whatever her plan is, he will kill her today. She might want to quicken this battle, but the end result will still be the same.

Roaring, Barthandelus leaps forward to greet her attack.

* * *

><p>Lightning is losing her cool; those undeniable throbs from her old wound do not bode well.<p>

What in Etro's name is wrong with her today?! She thought that wound was fully healed a long while ago! Even in Eden, when that PSICOM grunt punched her right in that wound, it didn't throb! So why does it start acting up again now? She's had enough trouble already with Barthandelus and Fafnir!

But really... Lightning starts to feel worried. As she trades blows with Barthandelus—both only able to use their right arms—she keeps getting her concentration wavered by her wariness of that wound.

Undoubtedly, she survived that ghastly injury simply because of her friends' aid. Vanille, Hope and Serah… they have all worked so hard to seal it, to save her. She can even still remember the intense pain that the wound caused her every time she made the smallest of movements during her recovery period. If it reopens again now… while she's alone against Barthandelus… even an idiot could predict what would happen.

Lightning grunts; Barthandelus has just swiped his claws at her left side. Alarmed, the soldier quickly dashes backward to dodge—hence missing her chance to land a counterattack. But she can't help it; she won't let Barthandelus lands even one flimsy hit on her old wound.

Grimly, Lightning recalls Vanille's lecture when she inspected her wound for the last time—after it had closed.

"_Y'know, Light, you might feel like that wound has already been healed fully. But remember this: unless healed by magic, wounds can _never_ be fully healed. This wound of yours… it is totally immune to magic. Any healing spell I cast on it yields no effect… so even though that wound is closed now, but it will undoubtedly be weaker than the rest of your body. Even a flimsy punch that you normally can take might tear it open again. So be very careful; you never know when it would reopen. Protect it at all costs, Light, because it's like having a time bomb latched to your waist from now on."_

Time bomb, huh… surely her time is running short now.

Despair wells up inside her; Lightning doesn't know what to do anymore.

But if she does nothing… then death will surely come. Somehow, she _has _to defeat Barthandelus before her old wound reopens.

* * *

><p><em>That's it.<em>

Barthandelus's eyes widen slightly in recognition. After trading blows for some time with Lightning—with neither of them actually getting through each other's blocking—the fal'Cie has finally identified the anomaly he's sensed in Lightning Farron.

It's not just her sudden haste; no.

It's her fighting stance.

For some reason, Lightning Farron has adopted a more defensive stance—defending her… left side?

Barthandelus frowns as he silently observes Lightning as they trade more blows. However, when Lightning dodges his claws instead of blocking them, his suspicion is confirmed.

Barthandelus almost laughs in glee, but he holds it in.

It must be her old wound from Yojimbo… the severe wound she acquired from the temple guardian, during her attempt to extricate Fafnir. Barthandelus is sure of it now. That wound must be hurting; that's why Farron is struggling so hard to defend her left side. Whatever attack she unleashes, she always keeps that side well-guarded.

_Pathetic._

The rest is easy now. Steeling himself, Barthandelus lets Fafnir slashes his incapacitated left arm.

* * *

><p>Lightning is startled; out of a sudden, Barthandelus drops his guard, letting her slash Fafnir straight to his left arm. But her thoughts are soon drowned when the pain from a fresh wound appears in her arm as well.<p>

It was just a moment's distraction… but then again, that is all that's needed in a battle of this caliber.

Using the chance right when it appears, Barthandelus drives his fist at Lightning's left side.

* * *

><p>Lightning sees the attack coming; she sees it aimed straight at her old wound. Right at that moment, she knows Barthandelus has noticed. He knows... And if his attack hits her directly now, that wound will surely…!<p>

Shouting angrily, Lightning lashes her left arm out to grab Fafnir from her right hand. Ignoring the throbs the action caused her, Lightning brings the fire sword before her midriff just on time—before Barthandelus's fist meets the sword with a loud clang.

"Ugh!"

The blow is so powerful; Lightning can feel her legs giving away. Then her body starts falling—

_Retreat._

With that thought in her mind, Lightning unleashes Aerora upon herself. The spell pushes her body away from Barthandelus, sending her a few meters backwards until she lands heavily on her side.

Lightning shuts her eyes in pain, panting as she struggles to regain her breath. She has indeed managed to dodge that devastating fist of Barthandelus's… but the fal'Cie has known about her wound. From now on, she will have to defend it even more carefully…

Gingerly, Lightning raises her head up.

_Finally, some luck._

Out of pure luck, the Aerora spell she's unleashed has collided with Barthandelus's newly-cast Ruinga. They implode together, creating wisps of wind between Lightning and the fal'Cie. As they blow heavily, small rocks whirl threateningly within them. It is doubtlessly the only think that keeps Barthandelus from reaching and killing her now.

_Right._

Knowing she'd have to get ready for the next attacks, Lightning springs to a crouching position, gripping Fafnir tightly again. She tests her legs—nothing seems to be broken. Good.

With a small grunt, the soldier straightens herself up.

"Argh!"

—But immediately falls back to her knees, as a heavy throb suddenly racks her midriff. Lightning hisses in pain; through her blurred vision, she glances downwards…

…and sees crimson blossoming through her white overcoat, right at the place where her old wound used to be gaping.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Soooo sorry for this slow update, guys D: I hope you guys havent forgotten what's been happening throughout this final battle... but yeah! A lot of things happened that sapped my time. Firstly, the release of my O level Exams' results. I'm thankful to say that I did exceptionally well. :,) So I'd like to thank you all for the well wishes. Really, I appreciate them.

But then… a lot of mess started. Choosing junior college to enroll to, saying farewells to friends… well, I admit I felt kinda sad to part ways with everyone. But then again, it's inevitable I guess.

Secondly, there was this incident when my mum was attempting to teach me to cook something more sophisticated than eggs and instant noodles. I was standing beside her, politely pretending to be interested as she cut up some vegetables… when suddenly the kitchen knife slid off the table. Now I swear I wasn't trying to be a hero or anything—it was more of a reflex—but, yeah. My hand lashed out and caught the knife. At the blade. I'm sure everyone can guess what happened next.

Argh, so basically it was much slower to type with one hand. Hence, this late chapter. Sorry again, really. But here it is, yea? Long enough, I guess. The next update won't be this slow, promise. As always, thanks a lot for the reviews, my lords and ladies :3 Love 'em all.


	49. Chapter 49

BLAM!

"One down, guys! Get ready to take down more!"

"Good attempt to raise our morals, boy. But honestly, taking _that _one down already felt like a year's worth of struggle."

"Would you two just shut up and ATTACK?!"

That angry yell from Fang immediately silences Snow and Sazh. Without further ado, they continue unleashing their magic attacks at Mnerva, who —disturbingly—does not seem to be affected much by the loss of its leftmost turrets.

Conversely, we on team l'Cie—as Sazh calls it—are running low on stamina and magic.

Taking in a ragged breath, I force myself to shoot more Thunder spells at Mnerva's hulking form. Beside me, Vanille and Hope are doing likewise. Even Fang has foregone her usual physical attacks and is now going all out on magic.

Right… At this distance, our physical attacks cannot reach Mnerva at all. Hence we have reached a mutual agreement to torrent it with magic, and that effort at least shows some result. After a long succession of desperate magic attacks, we finally manage to take down one of Mnerva's turrets.

But that hardly means we are close to defeating it.

As of now, Mnerva is still as dangerous as ever—it is still hulking before us, as massive and indestructible as a fortress. Although its devastating firearm attacks have been reduced, but its other turrets and cannons are still preventing us from getting close to it.

The bright side of this near-impenetrable defense? It proves that Mnerva is wary of physical attacks. It fears them, hence it keeps us away by shooting at us like crazy. Well, at least that's what Fang said—in between her impressive barrage of curses, of course.

As for now, our plan is to continue attacking Mnerva with magic, while looking for an opening to inflict it with our physical attacks. Only then would we be able to defeat it… and go after Light.

A shudder runs down my spine at this thought. Here we are, taking such a long time to defeat Mnerva, while Lightning fights Barthandelus alone under unknown circumstances. Is she okay? Is she injured? Is Fafnir hurting her? Hundreds of questions swirl in my mind, urging me to continue attacking Mnerva despite my depleting strength.

However, that's when Vanille suddenly lets out a startled gasp.

"Vanille, whats wrong?" I ask, turning to face her immediately. Beside me, Fang sends the redhead a worried glance too even as she casts more debuffs at Mnerva.

Vanille looks up to meet my gaze—and my heart lurches upon seeing the desperation and worry in her eyes.

"It's Lightning—her wound from Yojimbo reopens!"

Those words stab me like knives, leaving me staring wide-eyed and speechless.

"What… why… how do you know?" I stutter. The others have heard it as well—their heads are all turned to Vanille, all the while struggling to avoid Mnerva's attacks. Luckily, Fang has managed to afflict it with Slowga—making its attacks clumsy and avoidable.

Vanille quickly explains, her voice nearing a whimper. "I… I sealed a Regen spell in that wound before, casting it in such a way that it would only release its healing power when the wound reopens. Just now—just now, I felt it activating—it can only mean—"

She doesn't have to continue. All of us heard her; all of us understand the implication. With a renewed vigor, we focus our attacks again at Mnerva. Beside me, Fang has almost gone berserk; with a feral roar, she casts Ruinga over and over again, hardly stopping in her effort to bring the demi-fal'Cie down.

"GET THE HELL OUTTA OUR WAY!" Fang roars.

Behind her, Hope is attacking feverishly as well; his face wane with worry. Meanwhile, it feels like all emotion has drained off me. I can't feel anything besides fear. Yelling desperately, I join in the others' barrage of attacks.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…"<p>

Lightning grimaces, clenching her teeth against the pain in her midriff. By now the throbbing has turned into a constant burning sensation, which flares even more painfully every time she inhales. Despite this, Lightning forces herself to control her breathing. She knows all too well what would happen if she doesn't—lack of oxygen would render her unconscious. And then… yeah. Barthandelus can kill her leisurely.

Gritting her teeth, Lightning forces herself to a crouching position. As she does that, she glances at Barthandelus—he's still hindered behind the storming wall of Aerora and Ruinga. At this short respite, Lightning lets her gaze drop to her blood covered midriff.

_Damn you, Yojimbo…_

Tensing herself for the pain, Lightning flaps her overcoat aside to inspect her wound. What she sees sends cold dread into her heart, a feeling she's always taught to avoid in the heat of battle.

Yet she can't help it; what with the terrifying sight of her wound. While it was usually a rough, reddish-brown line, now it is bright crimson, gaping and soaked with blood. The red liquid flows out from the wound with each throb, covering her left waist in its ruby hue. Lightning lets out the breath she's been holding, half-expecting more blood to surge out from the wound—

—but nothing happens.

Lightning blinks, struggling to focus her blurred vision. She thought it was her pained mind playing tricks on her—but it was not. Her wound has indeed stopped bleeding.

It was then that the soldier senses the warmth of a healing spell working its power in her wound. A grim smile tugs at her lips.

_Regen… I owe you one, Vanille._

That's it. Lightning can sense it clearly now; a Regen spell is working in her wound, stitching back flesh and stopping the bleeding. Thanks to it, her wound does not fully open. Only the outer surface is torn—and even then, the Regen is already working to stop its bleeding. It is still hurting of course, but nothing she can't handle. At least she won't die from loss of blood… yet.

However, this small relief is ephemeral. Because right then, Barthandelus charges through the obscuring storm.

Lightning looks up in alarm as Barthandelus's roar echoes from the ravines. Cursing softly, she leaps to her feet—and has to stifle a cry of pain as her wound throbs. But still, the soldier grits her teeth and forces herself to remain standing. However, that's when Barthandelus perceives her bleeding wound.

The fal'Cie laughs. It is a cruel, victorious laugh; one that echoes his certainty of winning this battle.

"You're done for, Lightning Farron!"

He raises his claws to attack—and that's when a thought that every soldier dreads makes its way into Lightning's mind.

The thought that she is going to lose. The realization of an incoming attack, an attack that would cut her life source away. The knowledge that she is going to die in the hands of a far, far stronger opponent.

_Not a damn chance!_

Roaring in defiance, Lightning raises Fafnir and swings it to block Barthandelus's attack. The fal'Cie grins; his dying prey is trying to fight back.

Even as Lightning takes a step back from Barthandelus, she can already feel her wound throbbing more viciously—threatening to overcome Vanille's Regen and tearing fully open. Yet the soldier holds in the pain; she swings Fafnir relentlessly, chaining one attack after another, blocking Barthandelus's swiping claws away from her. The fal'Cie roars; the ferocity of her attacks startles him.

But he knows it is just the desperate ferocity of a cornered prey.

A slight opening amidst the barrage of attacks; without hesitation, Barthandelus slams his fist into Lightning's torso.

* * *

><p>The blow isn't especially powerful— she managed to block most of its power with Fafnir. However, the impact force still reverberates through her body, further aggravating her wound. This time, a pained cry escapes Lightning's lips.<p>

And that's when Barthandelus raises his right hand, claws out—before bringing it down like a guillotine towards her head.

_Clang!_

Lightning grunts; in a split second before the attack crushes her skull, her instincts have prompted her to raise Fafnir above her head. And now the blazing blade is the only thing blocking Barthandelus's claws from her flesh.

Barthandelus growls furiously; with a grunt, he adds pressure to his claws, their sharp tips only inches from Lightning's head.

Meanwhile, Lightning isn't giving up either; gritting her teeth, she tenses her arms and digs her feet firmly to the ground in her struggle to withstand Barthandelus's fist.

However, that's when her wound flares in greater pain.

Barthandelus feels Lightning's grip on Fafnir weakening; with a victorious roar, he forces his hand downwards. Sensing this, Lightning uses all her energy to shove Fafnir sideways, thus pushing Barthandelus's claws away from her head—

—Yet one of the fal'Cie's long claws still finds its way into her left shoulder, stabbing right through her Guardian Corps epaulette and entering her flesh like a bullet.

Lightning shouts in pain; under the weight of Barthandelus's hand, Fafnir slams against her shoulder. Immediately the offending claw buries itself deeper in her flesh, blood slowly pooling around it. Some of the blood stains Fafnir—but immediately disappears into the blade, as if absorbed.

However, neither Barthandelus nor Lightning notices this anomaly.

Barthandelus laughs as he watches Lightning's struggle to remain standing. Mercilessly, he flexes his claw; drawing a pained gasp from the soldier. The fal'Cie grins ominously.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" he asks, his voice maliciously soft and caressing. "Well, it is just the beginning."

And with that, the fal'Cie pulls his claw out of Lightning's shoulder.

Lightning shouts in pain as the crimson-layered claw splatters her blood to the ground; her legs tremble heavily beneath her, threatening to give away. But Barthandelus isn't done.

Mercilessly, the fal'Cie's massive right hand lashes forward again—this time grabbing Lightning around her neck, lifting her body well off the ground. The soldier gasps for air, but Barthandelus's hold is iron-tight. It cuts her airway completely, blocking the much-needed oxygen, causing Lightning's vision to darken dangerously as her consciousness fades. Fafnir falls from her weak grip, clattering uselessly on the ground.

The fal'Cie chuckles.

"This is the end for you, Lightning Farron."

He raises his left claws, ready to bring it down upon Lightning and tear her body from head to toe.

* * *

><p><em>It… hurts…<em>

Lightning is exhausted… All the pain and blood loss are sapping her energy greatly, leaving her on the verge of unconsciousness. But despite this, her instincts are still awake; they are screaming at her to do anything, anything at all to avoid the falling claws.

A small groan escapes her lips. She can't breathe… her midriff hurts like hell… and her left shoulder throbs excruciatingly, the bleeding hole gaping as wide as Barthandelus's claw. In the midst of all this agony, the prospect of getting her body torn to death doesn't sound so bad… at least the pain would stop then…

_Dying's easy._

At this thought, Lightning vision suddenly clears. She blinks in surprise—before her, she sees Barthandelus's raised claws. They would descend upon her soon, killing her.

And that's when Lightning's memory of her friends and sister surge forward, along with her resolve.

…_but I have people worth living for._

One second is all she had as the claws descend upon her.

But then again, one second is enough for Lightning.

Channeling all her remaining energy into her uninjured right hand, Lightning unleashes her Wrath of Heavens at Barthandelus's torso.

CRACK!

"Aaaargh!"

The fal'Cie bellows in pain; his descending claws suddenly lose their strength. His hold around Lightning's neck loosens—the soldier drops to the ground—

—but not before one of Barthandelus's flailing claws slashes her face across the right eye.

Lightning's pained cry joins the fal'Cie's.

* * *

><p>"Lightning…?"<p>

I turn my face up to the sky—the afternoon sun is shining brightly as per normal, but I know something is wrong. Damn, I can sense it… there is this sudden heart-lurching feeling jabbing into my chest, causing me to immediately think of Lightning.

I frown in worry, knowing that something is happening to her—and it's definitely not something good. Her wound is already half-opened… what now? Is it opening fully? Or is Barthandelus… hurting her?

…I don't even know what's befalling my sister. Here I am, completely helpless and unable to reach her beyond Mnerva's hulking form.

Yelling angrily in frustration, I cast even more powerful spells at Mnerva. Sensing my desperate urgency, the others glance at me. Whatever they see in my face clearly spurs them into similar renewed vigor; their attacks get stronger, barraging the demi-fal'Cie relentlessly.

And Fang—it seems she's felt the same tugging, unpleasant sensation as me. Her eyebrows are frowned in deep worry, her arms lashing out feverishly as she casts her attacks. Beside her, Vanille is attacking desperately as well—and I think I glimpsed tears flowing down her cheek.

We all know something is wrong. We all know… Lightning needs help.

Yet we are unable to aid her in any way…

"Enough of this! Let's go all out, combine our attacks!" Fang roars in desperation.

* * *

><p>Lightning is panting heavily, her breaths coming out as short, pained gasps. She has dropped on a crouching position, her good hand pressed tightly against her right eye. Even then, blood still flows from the deep slash, covering her cheek with crimson.<p>

"Guh…"

Lightning tries to open her eye; realizing with dread that she can't. Barthandelus's claw has torn a deep slash across it, and now she can't open it. She can't see… even with her left eye uninjured, her vision is still hazy due to the searing pain.

But she knows Barthandelus is still nearby. Blindly, Lightning grasps around for Fafnir; letting out a ragged sigh when she feels her fingers grazing its hilt. Without wasting any more time, she grabs the sword, using it as a support as she forces her battered-up body to stand. Her wounds throb—her midriff, her shoulder, her eye—her body is basically screaming at her to give up, to fall back and rest.

_I'd love to—if only that wouldn't mean death._

Lightning grunts—right now, the only thing she can feel is pain. She can't even think anymore… her instincts are the only thing moving her body. She raises Fafnir—

—just on time to block Barthandelus's claws as they descend upon her body. The sudden weight presses against Lightning mercilessly, forcing her knees to buckle. Hell, she can't even see anymore—her right eye is a gone case, while her left eye only shows her flashes of hazy colors. But she can still hear Barthandelus's furious roar; that last Wrath of Heavens from her must have injured him quite badly. He's all the more set to rip her into shreds now.

_I'm definitely cornered._

However, as this thought flits through Lightning's pain-fogged mind… a distant memory awakes as well.

* * *

><p>"<em>Tell me, Sergeant… which monster fascinates you?"<em>

_Lightning blinks—she looks around in confusion, taking in the familiar view of the Guardian Corps' private training ground. Frowning, she touches her right eye—it's perfectly fine. No deep slash tearing across it, no pain surging through her… even her shoulder and midriff are perfectly fine._

"_Hey there, you heard me, Farron?"_

_Lightning's head jerks up—right to see the jovial face of her superior, Lieutenant Amodar. Right now the Lieutenant is raising his eyebrows, waiting for her answer._

_A hesitant smirk tugs at Lightning's lips. Somehow, she's back at the GC headquarter, receiving her advanced combat training from the Lieutenant. She ponders his question for a while before finally answering._

"_I guess dragons are quite formidable monsters, sir."_

_A glint of amusement in the Lieutenant's warm eyes. "Dragons, eh? Ha, somehow you and I have the same answer! What kind of dragon, though?" he asks further._

_Lightning stares blankly. Sensing her confusion, the Lieutenant explains._

"_Like, y'know… for me, I admire those Earth Dragons. You know… the ones with hulking bodies, muscular tails and all? They don't have wings, though."_

_Lightning chuckles at this. "Now that you mention it, sir… you do look like an Earth dragon. Hulking physique and all… but too heavy to fly."_

_At this, Amodar bursts out laughing. "You're feisty as always, Farron! But yeah, you're right. I can't imagine myself flying either… But you—I can totally imagine _you_ flyin'! Especially with your liking to jumping off cliffs using those grav-con units, ha. Do you realize that most GC soldiers are reluctant to do it, even with the units? The falling speed terrifies them!"_

_Lightning scoffs; she doesn't care what other soldiers feel, it's their problem if they're scared of heights. She folds her arms, starting to feel annoyed. She isn't here to discuss other soldiers, she can't care less about them… she is here to train, dammit. "May I know why we are having this conversation about dragons, sir?" she asks, trying to get her supervisor back on track._

"_No nonsense as always, huh?" Lieutenant Amodar chuckles. "Well, here's the thing, Farron—I'm planning to teach you a new fighting technique today. I'm sure you've noticed by now that some of these techniques are derived from monsters, right? Like, the 'Chocobo Kick' for example? Well, that's one. But there are actually way more powerful techniques than that, which are derived from dragons."_

_Here the Lieutenant grins. "Interested, Sergeant?"_

_Lightning eyes him skeptically, still unconvinced. "And how does fighting like a giant lizard benefit me?"_

"_Oh, come on!" Amodar waves his huge hand dismissively. "You said it yourself; a dragon is a powerful beast! Wouldn't you want to benefit from its style?"_

_Lightning shrugs. "If you recommend it, then I suppose it'd be worth training for, sir... just don't expect me to sprout wings, scales and stuff."_

_A satisfied chuckle from the Lieutenant. _

"_Don't worry, it's nothing like that! This technique involves both dodging and offensive moves, quite similar to your own fighting style, in fact." He folds his arms, looking proudly at her before continuing his explanation. "Thus, I'm actually quite sure that you'll find this technique easy to master. But then again, I don't want you to merely _master_ it! I want you to reach a level in which you can execute it without thinking or seeing, basically making it a part of your instincts. One day it might even be your savior when you're cornered…" _

_He trails off for a second there; but soon his sprightly eyes flick back to Lightning, glinting with challenge. "But beware, Sergeant—achieving _that_ level of mastery is gonna be hard, I can assure you."_

_Upon hearing this, Lightning smirks slightly._

"_Sounds good, sir."_

* * *

><p><em>And so she trained. Under Lieutenant Amodar's directions, Lightning trained day after day, perfecting each form, repeating each form endlessly until every one of them becomes a reflex to her. A reflex she only uses when she's cornered, though—and since she's rarely cornered, she seldom uses them. But the memory of their executions still lingers in her body, as permanent as her reflexes and instincts.<em>

* * *

><p>Lightning snaps back to the present, the distant memory fading from her mind. Immediately she feels the pressure of Barthandelus's claws on Fafnir again, threatening to crush her defense and tear her body. And yeah—not to forget the pain. Her right eye, midriff and shoulder start acting up again, surging waves of pain through her. They cloud her mind, turning her vision into darkness. But her instincts are still as clear as always.<p>

As Barthandelus increases the pressure of his claws on Fafnir, Lightning feels her feet trembling. It's useless—they would give away soon. She's cornered—

_When cornered, even the high-flying dragons would drop to the ground._

Lightning's head jerks slightly as this memory of Lieutenant Amodar's voice surfaces. No, it's more of… the memory of her training.

Time to move on instinct. Her body and thoughts are already numb; there is simply nothing else she can rely on.

_Dragons drop themselves to the ground…_

Without further ado, Lightning drops herself forward to the ground, breaking Fafnir's lock with Barthandelus's claws. The fal'Cie is surprised by this sudden maneuver—the loss of Fafnir's obstruction causes him to stagger forward.

_They recoil like snakes…_

Lightning pushes the ground with her palms, jerking her torso up and backwards—right on time to dodge Barthandelus's claws as they slam to the spot where her torso was a second before.

_Raise their wings…_

Her grip on Fafnir tightens—Lightning raises the fire sword, its blazing blade catching the afternoon sun brilliantly. Then, without hesitation, she jabs it downwards at Barthandelus's hand on the ground—

—releasing her grip just before the blade makes contact with the fal'Cie's flesh.

Barthandelus roars in pain; Fafnir has stabbed his hand all the way through, impaling him to the ground. Meanwhile, Lightning isn't hurt—her well-timed release of Fafnir means she wasn't in contact with the bloodthirsty sword when it wounded the fal'Cie. Hence, this time she's spared from the backlash. She can still use her right hand.

…_Then whip their tails._

Lightning's right hand shoots out, grabbing Fafnir's hilt even while the sword is still stuck in Barthandelus's flesh. Using the sword as a pivot, the soldier spins her body in a deadly arc—

—and kicks Barthandelus powerfully, pushing him backwards. The fal'Cie's roar of pain echoes from the ravines as his right hand is ripped from Fafnir's blade.

_You know what's next. Dragons breathe fire._

Using the momentum of her spin, Lightning swings her body to face Barthandelus again. Back then in the GC, she merely used Manadrive Fire… but now that she's a l'Cie, she has her own magic to make use of.

Without wasting any second, Lightning holds in her wounds' throbbing and unleashes another Wrath of Heavens at the fal'Cie.

CRACK!

"Aaargh!"

Just like a dragon's fire, this Wrath of Heavens shoots out horizontally and strikes Barthandelus right in his chest. The fal'Cie bellows—but the attack is too powerful for him. It sends him tumbling backwards, straight towards the ravines, and…

…pushes him over the precipice.

Soon the fal'Cie's pained bellows grow distant as he falls to the bottom of the ravine. A deep, long trench scars the ground from where his body skidded across.

Meanwhile, Lightning collapses as well, her energy drained.

* * *

><p><em>I've gotta move…<em>

Lightning breathes heavily, struggling to get air into her lungs. She has to move, dammit… Barthandelus won't die just because he slipped off some cliff, he'd find his way back up soon… and she'd surely get killed if she just lie around like this.

With tremendous effort, Lightning drags herself forward with her hands. Already has the effort strained her wounds—a pained gasp escapes her lips as her left arm buckles, the gaping wound on her shoulder throbbing torturously. Gritting her teeth, Lightning inches forward until she feels the reassuring support of a rock against her good shoulder.

Letting out a trembling breath, the soldier turns her body around, her back now leaning heavily against the rock. In her state, even the coarse rock feels like a cushion—as long as it gives her wounded body a firm support, it's enough for her.

Only then that Lightning opens her left eye tiredly, glancing at her torso to check on her wounds.

Not good.

The left side of her waist is covered in blood, as well as her left arm. The deep wound on her shoulder still bleeds slowly, the crimson blood flowing in thin rivulets down to her fingertips. Lightning groans. She doesn't even want to see the state of her right eye now. The bleeding has stopped, but she can feel the warm blood covering her cheek. Opening that eye is out of the question—for now, she can only rely on her left eye for vision. Even then, her vision is hazy. She can barely see more than two meters ahead.

Lightning inhales painfully as she leans her head back against the rock. Every breath she takes strains the wound on her waist—and the damned gash hasn't even opened fully. The worst thing is that she's currently so exhausted that she can't even cast a simple Cure. She'll have to wait for Vanille… if there is anyone who can heal her wounds, especially her slashed eye, the little redhead would be the one. Her Medic skills are the strongest…

Provided she can survive long enough to see Vanille again, of course.

Lightning grits her teeth in desperation. She can barely move… her hand is trembling so much that she can't even hold Fafnir's hilt properly anymore. The moment Barthandelus emerges from the ravine—which wouldn't be long now—he would surely decapitate her. And she'd never see Serah or the others again…

At this thought, a different emotion surges through the soldier. It takes a moment before she recognizes it as… anger. Anger at Barthandelus, anger at her wounds… even anger at herself, for being so weak and battered up like this.

Right… in all their previous battles, Lightning always came close to defeating Barthandelus. Close, but never once did she actually manage to do it. She's always failed before delivering the final blow, while that blow was actually all she needed to defeat Barthandelus on the spot. But nope, she always failed.

And her friends are always the ones to suffer the consequences of her failures.

First Zalera… then Palumpolum… and now this?

Lightning doesn't need anyone to tell her what would happen if she doesn't defeat Barthandelus. The fal'Cie would doubtlessly slaughter her friends, before finally massacring the entire Cocoon. All the pain and suffering they've gone through to get here would be for naught. All because she is too weak to defeat the decrepit fal'Cie…

Lightning growls, struggling to get back to her feet. But it's useless—tries though she might, she can't even lift her head up anymore. All energy seems to be leaving her body, flowing freely out of her wounds. She's as immobile as a horse with broken legs.

"Damn…"

Lightning shuts her eye closed, cursing softly. She's never felt this furious with herself before… furious at her own weakness, furious at her own incompetence. The lives of her friends, and Cocoon, are at stake here… everything she's ever come to care about are going to be annihilated soon. Yet she can't even get to her feet to protect them.

The soldier grits her teeth in desperation.

_Please… I just need more strength… to fight for those I care about…_

However, right then the wound on her waist flares excruciatingly. Even though Vanille's Regen is still active, but Lightning's forcing herself to fight has aggravated it.

"Guh… ahk!"

Lightning's head jerks forward—another wave of pain stabs into her, accompanied by a coughing fit. Her body reflexively moves into a crouching position as blood starts spluttering from her mouth. The soldier clenches her fists against the pain, barely noticing Fafnir that is still gripped in her right hand.

But that's when a soft, hissing voice suddenly speaks.

"_You hunger for power…"_

Lightning looks up immediately, startled. "Who's there?!"

The voice speaks again, as softly as before. _"Oh, you know me."_

"Show yourself!" Lightning growls, her patience decreasing rapidly. She forces her left eye to focus, scanning the area around her quickly for signs of whoever it is talking to her.

But the voice's reply really takes her aback.

"_I am already in your hands, dear master."_

Lightning frowns. Hesitantly, she looks down at her right hand—right on time to see a drop of blood dripping onto Fafnir's blade from her wound and… disappears.

And exactly then, the flames within the blade suddenly pulsate with energy, coiling and rolling to form a massive eye staringat her. The eye is blood-red in color, with a pitch black, slit-like pupil resembling that of a dragon's.

_Fafnir? _Lightning thinks incredulously.

"_That's right, dear master. Finally I can muster enough strength to reach your mind."_

There comes the voice again. But this time, Lightning realizes that the voice speaks inside her mind.

* * *

><p>"Clear with that?! We've got to get this right!" Fang shouts at her friends.<p>

The united yells of affirmation she receives make the huntress nod in approval. This is their last resort to bring Mnerva down… if this tactic doesn't work, Fang doesn't know what to do anymore to get rid of this damn oversized bird.

_If only Lightning is here…_

Fang shakes her head in anger; it is _exactly _because Lightning isn't here that they have to try this ragtag strategy, dammit. No matter what, they have to make sure this strategy works… they _have _to get rid of Mnerva, for Etro's sake!

…Because Lightning is still out there, and Fang can definitely sense that her battle partner is in trouble.

The huntress growls, readying her lance. Before her, the massive bulk of Mnerva still hovers menacingly, blocking their path. She's fought something similar to this oversized piece of metal before… back there in Zalera, that stupid prison General's Warmech. Lightning was there with her back then, and somehow she came up with the idea to combine their techniques together to bring down the gigantic machine. Army of One plus Launch… Damn, ain't that move powerful.

And that's what Fang is aiming to recreate now. Combining attacks, not only from two people but from _all _of her friends here. Casting magic over and over again won't help them defeat Mnerva; they need to hit it with physical attacks that it so fears. And the only way to do it past all the demi-fal'Cie's defenses is by combining their attacks in one rapid chain.

Glancing sidelong at her five comrades, Fang's gaze meets Snow's.

He nods.

At this cue, Fang immediately starts moving.

"TIME FOR YOU TO CRASH, OVERGROWN OWL!" the huntress roars as she dashes towards Mnerva.

In response, Mnerva whirs angrily; without hesitation, it shoots its cannons at Fang. However, none hits the huntress—for she has leapt to the air…

…stepping on Snow's massive fist for a second, before the huge man yells and launches her straight at the enemy.

Mnerva's massive mechanic head flicks up in alarm; its blank eyes follow Fang as the huntress shoots through the air and reaches the top of her trajectory directly above the demi-fal'Cie. She raises her crimson lance dangerously, prompting Mnerva to aim its cannons at her again—

—But before it can shoot, Hope has cast a Ruinga to the air, the spell exploding right above Fang. The huntress is unhurt, though; Sazh has cast Shell for her just on time. Yet the impact force of the explosion still takes effect, hurtling Fang straight towards Mnerva like a meteor, her sharp lance glinting under the afternoon sun.

WRECK!

—And that's when Fang's much-strengthened Highwind hits Mnerva right on the center of its iron-clad body, tearing a hole straight through its hull with a deafening explosion.

Mnerva shrieks shrilly—Fang's attack has caused it to lose some control over its wings, the massive battleship now beginning to tilt sideways. The demi-fal'Cie struggles to remain airborne—with a furious whirring, its wings lift again as it attempts to retreat—

—But Vanille won't let that happen. With a powerful swing of her binding rod, the redhead sends its hooked ropes tangling around Mnerva, preventing it from retreating. Meanwhile, Fang lands safely on her feet—Serah's well-timed Slow spell has prevented her from falling smack-dab to the bone-crushing ground.

But the attack chain isn't over. With Mnerva entangled in Vanille's binding rod, Sazh quickly unleashes his best move.

"This is gonna sting!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Tens of meteor-bullets fall from the sky, as Sazh unleashes his Cold Blood combined with Firaga. The powerful bullets tear even more holes in Mnerva—a series of explosions wreck its body, smoke billowing dangerously around its wings. It's inevitable now—with a roaring whir, the gigantic battle ship plunges to the ground.

"Now!"

No one wastes any second—the moment Mnerva hits the ground, Hope, Serah and Vanille cast their Deprotect spells at it. When the spells take effect, Fang, Sazh and Snow immediately unleash their attacks.

Highwind, Sovereign Fist and a barrage of bullets hit Mnerva—a series of powerful physical attacks that it is weak of. Coupled with the Deprotect spells, it suffers a great damage, shrieking—

—before it finally explodes into thousands of crystal shards, which settle to the ground slowly around the victorious l'Cie.

But that's when Vanille suddenly shouts in alarm.

"Guys, watch out of the crystals! I think they possess magic of some kind!"

Fang hears her; without questioning, the huntress immediately dashes away from the settling crystals like Vanille does.

But the others act a second too slow.

"Whoa!"

Without warning, the floating crystals change color into red; before thick magic fibers appear to connect them to one another. Before long, the crystals have turned into a massive, dome-shaped mesh which imprisons all the l'Cie except Fang and Vanille. It is Mnerva's last attempt to slow them down: Paling.

* * *

><p>"The hell is this!" Snow yells, charging at the shimmering scarlet web surrounding him and his friends. He punches at it with all his strength—but it doesn't even budge. Snow stares at it in disbelief.<p>

"It's useless, Snow! This thing is a Paling; Barthandelus used this to trap Lightning and me back then in the Faultwarrens!" I warn, grabbing Snow's arm when he raises it to punch at the web again. Frustration wells in me; how can we let ourselves be trapped like this?! Breaking a Paling takes a long time! And we don't have time… Lightning…

"So how did you two get out?" Hope asks me nervously, eyeing the eerie scarlet web above our heads.

"Use magic! Palings are immune to physical attacks, but merely resistant to magic!" Vanille suddenly shouts from the other side of the web, her voice oddly muffled. I look at her and Fang as they cast numerous Ruinga at the web, in their effort to free us.

But we can't waste any more time.

Shaking my head in frustration, I quickly make my decision. I rush to the web, trying to get as close as possible to Fang and Vanille so they can hear my voice.

"Fang! Vanille!"

The two Oerbans stop attacking the web, their attention falling to me immediately. Even through this Paling, I can see the deep worry and desperation in their eyes. They know time is running short…

I shout again as loudly as I can.

"…Save Lightning! Go and help her; please! We'll be fine—we'll break this Paling as soon as possible! But until then, you two have to find Light—she's in trouble, I can feel it… Please, we can't waste any more time…!"

Fang and Vanille stare at me, hesitating. True that it would take quite a long time to break through a Paling, but can they just leave their friends like this…?

But that's when the others' voice boom as well.

"Go Fang, Vanille! Help Light!" Hope shouts, waving his arm urgently.

"Soldier Girl needs you two more than us; quit worrying like old grannies and help her!" Sazh joins.

"You guys gotta be the heroes now!" Snow hollers, even as he starts casting Blizzaga at the sturdy Paling.

My tears almost fall; this is a bad joke, how can we get stuck in this Paling right after defeating Mnerva?! Only Fang and Vanille are free to move around now, and I can only count on them.

"Please, Fang… Vanille… save my sister…"

That's it. Making up her mind, Fang straps her lance to her back. Vanille does likewise—with a quick flick of her wrist, she folds her binding rod and attaches it to her waist.

"Alright, fine!" Fang shouts. "But you all better break this thing fast and catch up with us, okay?"

"Don't worry! You two just go and help Light; there is no danger in this Paling! It's just here to slow us down…" Sazh replies, his eyes observing the scarlet threads.

"Hurry!"

With a grim nod, Fang turns around and dashes towards the portal that Barthandelus made, Vanille following her somewhat reluctantly. The little redhead never likes leaving her comrades behind… but Serah's right, currently they can't waste any more time. Lightning might be dying right now, and they've gotta help her!

With that, the two Oerbans sprint as fast as they can, heading to Gran Pulse. Behind them, within the Paling, Sazh has summoned Brynhildr to help him and the others in breaking the web.

* * *

><p>Lightning stares at the flaring sword in her hand, struggling to see clearly through her blurred vision. Barthandelus still hasn't emerged from the ravine—it seems her last Wrath of Heavens has injured him quite badly. At least it gives her some time… to deal with this sword which suddenly speaks into her mind. Hundreds of question rush through her, but she simply has no time to demand the answers to all of them.<p>

_What… do you want? _Lightning finally asks tiredly, her consciousness starting to fade with all the pain in her wounds.

But instead of answering her, Fafnir replies with a statement._ "You desire power."_

Lightning frowns.

… _So what if I do?_

"_I can help you with that, dear master," _Fafnir replies confidently_. "I can lend you my power, more than enough power to help you defeat that fal'Cie nemesis of yours."_

Lightning blinks as she hears this. Can it be a mere coincidence that an ancient, bloodthirsty sword suddenly offers her his power just when she desperately needs it? No matter what, it sounds too good to be true. She is still suspicious of this sword... she just can't trust it immediately.

_And how can I believe you? Who are you, and how can you be talking to me inside my head? _

Something resembling a scoff echoes in her mind when the sword answers her.

"_I am Fafnir," _he begins, his voice suddenly rumbling heavily._ "I, too, was once a fal'Cie. I was the fal'Cie of fire and death; I was the one who engulfed other fal'Cie in my flames. On my fiery claws I roam Gran Pulse, killing and slaughtering, longing to sate my eternal thirst for blood."_

_A Fal'Cie, huh… should've figured that out, _Lightning thinks grimly. But she remains quiet, knowing Fafnir still has more to explain.

"_For hundreds of years I reigned supreme, the blood of my preys giving me power beyond reckoning. I devoured every fal'Cie I met; I went to kill almost everything that moved, just to sate my blood thirst. But then… I grew too strong. Too uncontrollable, too dangerous. And so that cursed Lindzei came, punishing me for my bloodlust. He defeated me, sealed my powers, and turned my form into this pathetic sword!"_

Here Fafnir's voice suddenly booms with ancient fury, sending throbs into Lightning's head that make her wince in pain. Immediately, the voice softens again.

"_Lindzei used me whenever he needed to get rid of a rogue fal'Cie. He used me as his weapon… to turn falsehood into ashes. But when he no longer needed me, he enshrined me in his temple, and assigned his own monsters to guard me. And so I was stuck in that dark temple for eons… That is, until you came and freed me, my precious master."_

The voice stops, ending its story. Lightning falls quiet for a while, connecting Fafnir's story to hers. Undoubtedly, they match… no wonder Yojimbo was so strong; he was Lindzei's own selected goon, dammit. But nevertheless, she's beat him and obtained Fafnir—although it turns out now that she's grabbed more than she bargained for at that time. A fallen fal'Cie… damn, no wonder he's vicious.

But although she has now understood Fafnir's background, doubt still lingers in Lightning's mind. She is still reluctant to trust a sword—a fal'Cie—that has been hurting her almost as much as Barthandelus.

_If you are as powerful as you claimed, then why only talk to me now? _she demands.

Fafnir answers smoothly. _"Before this day, I was too weak, dear master… I hadn't drunk blood in eons. I simply had not the power to reach into your mind... But now that you have fed me with some blood, I've managed to regain a fraction of my strength."_

At this, Lightning blinks to clear her view and observes Fafnir's blade. So that was it… no wonder the blade is never stained with blood. He _absorbed _all the blood, for Etro's sake. He gained strength from it…

At this realization, she senses Fafnir's approval in her mind.

"_That's right… I am indebted to you, dear master. It is solely because of you that I can gain my strength back. That's why I wish to prove my gratitude… by sharing my power with you, and help you defeat this Barthandelus fal'Cie."_

…_How exactly?_

A menacing chuckle.

"_My true power is still encased in this sword prison, dear master. If you but offer me a certain gift, I would be able to gain enough strength to turn into my final form. I would become a blade so powerful, that a single stab from me can turn that Barthandelus into ashes. That's the strength you desire, isn't it…?"_

Lightning frowns, pondering her options. Fafnir's offer seems dangerous… somehow, she feels like there's something he hasn't told her. He's undoubtedly hiding something…

But honestly… there aren't many options left for her. If she does nothing, Barthandelus would emerge soon. Lightning winces.

_And the 'gift' is…?_

"_Blood."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Dragons are cool. Like, seriously.

Heh, sorry, I just had to say that :P as always, thanks a bunch for the reviews, guys :DD

For **PrincyJessie, **heeey! :D thanks a lot for your review! Hehe, I'm glad you love this story. It's a lot of fun to write too, especially with people like you reading it ^^ Your review really made my day, I couldn't stop smiling for a while :,3 But yeah! Here's more battle scenes in this chap for yaaa. Hope you like it, haha. Thanks again!

**v****otexLoc767, **I'd like to thank you too for your reviews! Aww, you made me feel so flattered :,3 And just like you, I grinned the whole time I was reading your reviews! xD Haha, I guess it's a mutual reaction then. Oh and thanks too for wishing my hand well :,) although I'd gladly trade it for a chance to meet Vanille, heh xP Um! But nevertheless, here's an update for youuu. Hope you like it!


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: **Two. Months. I'm so sorry for this super late update, guys D: I hope you guys haven't forgotten the storyline, cos this chap actually concludes a lot of things. Then again, I have to say that now I'm in the Junior College. It's a hellish place. The workload has increased tenfold, even more than the workload I endured back then during my O Level year. School starts early and ends late, all days of the week. Even during holidays n weekends, homework falls like rain. Plus, the new school environment is so different from secondary school, and I had trouble adjusting. I'm simply super busy now… I can't even tell when I'll be able to update. But yeah, regardless, I hope you guys still enjoy this chapter :) Took me quite long to perfect it, hrrr.

* * *

><p>Lightning exhales painfully, letting her back rest against the rock again. The throbbing of her wounds has intensified by now, and she finds it difficult to even think clearly. By now, the sun has started to set; making everything hard to see, especially with her wounded eye. However, Fafnir's voice still speaks audibly in her mind.<p>

"_Come on... I'm not asking for your life, dear master. Blood is all I require... Just give me some, and I will lend you my power. You'll be able to kill that Barthandelus with one strike, I can assure you." _

_Let me get this straight. You're asking me to mangle myself and feed you with blood right?_

A soft chuckle.

"_Are you afraid, dear master? Do not be; I won't kill you. You're my only precious thirst-quencher... I will never take your life. Besides, you don't have much choice, am I right? Admit it; you have almost no more strength. Your body is all torn up, you can't even stand… If you do nothing, that Barthandelus would emerge soon and kill you. I don't want you to die, master…"_

_Yeah, right. Because if I die, you won't have anyone else whose blood you can guzzle._

Fafnir doesn't reply, but Lightning can sense smugness in his silence.

Damn this…

"_Well, master? You don't have much time, you know that. Honestly, I think you're dying."_

Lightning bares her teeth angrily.

_Like I need anyone to tell me that. _

"_All the more reason for you to decide quickly, dear master. If not, I suspect you'd die from your wounds before that Barthandelus even emerges."_

Lightning curses; her fury rising quickly at Fafnir. She despises this fal'Cie sword, she despises his bloodlust… this damned sword would stop at nothing to get what he wants. Even his polite words are laced with barely-concealed shrewdness. If only he isn't the sole sword capable of defeating Barthandelus, Lightning would've thrown him into the ravine without a second glance. But here he is, with an offer that is so tempting yet impossible to take.

_I refuse, _Lightning snarls back at Fafnir. _If I mangle myself, I'll be incapacitated with pain. Even if you turn into your final form, what good does it do? Your final form is still a sword—I still have to wield you and stab Barthandelus myself. If I can't move, then it's no good to me. _

At this, Fafnir falls quiet for a second. Despite his silence, Lightning can still sense his bloodlust burning intensely, undoubtedly driving him to do whatever it takes to be sated. True enough, a few seconds later the fal'Cie sword speaks up again.

"_Fair enough. You're indeed a calculative master worthy of my power… Very well. If that's your concern, then once I turn into my final form I shall hold off your pain until you manage to stab that Barthandelus. How's that?"_

This time, it's Lightning's turn to fall quiet. She knows that's the best deal she can get from this despicable sword… but she still hesitates. Because even if Fafnir holds off the pain from her wounds, it doesn't mean she'd definitely be able to defeat Barthandelus. There are simply too many risks and uncertainties here... What if Fafnir fails to kill Barthandelus, even in his final form? What if he suddenly stop holding off her pain? She'd be completely vulnerable to Barthandelus's counterattack. He did say that he wouldn't want her dead, but who knows what he'd do if things turn sour. He can easily decide to kill her off himself just so he can drink more blood.

Lightning groans, closing her eye when her wounds throb again excruciatingly. She's way past her limits… even the simplest movement hurts her. At her current state, can she survive another injury to offer to Fafnir? She doubts it.

_This is hopeless._

Lightning scowls in desperation. No, she can't do this. Even though Fafnir's offer is her only true chance of defeating Barthandelus, but it demands too much from her. She can't do it, not now when she's all by herself.

Grimly, the soldier considers her options—which aren't many. And none ends well for her.

Firstly… if she decides to accept Fafnir's offer, she might die immediately from the loss of blood, without anyone nearby who can heal her. Even if she is somehow lucky to survive the wound and manages to stab Barthandelus with Fafnir's final form, there is still a chance that he won't die immediately. He can still aim an attack at her, and in her condition—in which Fafnir would no longer hold off her pain—she'd be unable to dodge. And there'd be no one to back her up.

But if she doesn't take the offer… Barthandelus will kill her once he emerges. And she can't even move to defend herself.

This is simply a battle she can't win.

At this thought, an ominously familiar feeling of helplessness overwhelms the soldier. It's exactly the same feeling jabbing her heart, back then in that night when the authorities passively announced her parents' death. It is the knowledge that she's alone against a mountain of adversity, the knowledge that sends paralyzing stabs of dread into her.

Slowly but surely, Lightning feels her consciousness fading. She struggles to remain awake, but she can no longer open her uninjured left eye. This is hopeless… it's simply impossible to win this battle in her current state. If she's in a GC mission now, the Lieutenant would've announced her as a casualty and ordered reinforcements to take over the mission. It would be a disgrace, but at least her life will be saved. Right now, it's a luxury she doesn't have.

_Damn…_

Lightning breathes heavily, her left eye half opening in her effort to stay conscious. However, her head has hung in exhaustion and all she can see is the red hue of the blood around her waist wound. Everything hurts…

She's so tired… so, so tired. She's been fighting for too long, she barely has any energy left now. She can't move anymore—even if she decides to take up Fafnir's offer, she still has no strength to lift the huge sword.

_But if I do nothing… Barthandelus will…_

Her life is not the only one on the line. Serah's and the others'… even Cocoon's.

Lightning grits her teeth, struggling to lift Fafnir up—but not even a twitch she can muster. Although she keeps forcing herself to move, her body no longer obeys her. Probably it's her survival instinct kicking in; her logic has concluded that there's nothing ahead but death, so it naturally tries to prevent any unnecessary pain. Her subconscious simply wouldn't let her endure more pain by moving.

_Damn this… if I do nothing, Barthandelus will hurt Serah and the others… he'll kill them for sure…_

She's sworn to protect those she cares about… but now, her wounds are simply getting the better of her.

Now even this last thought is fading…

Lightning's head drops as she closes her eye tiredly.

* * *

><p>"LIGHTNING FARRON!"<p>

Lightning's consciousness returns with a jolt upon hearing that familiar voice; but her eyes remain closed in exhaustion. She's confused; her pain-fogged mind barely recognizes that voice…

Yet she's sure that the voice belongs to someone important to her. Although it was shouting so fiercely, but she doesn't feel threatened at all… quite the contrary, the mere sound of it actually somehow makes her feel… stronger?

And that's when Lightning recognizes it. In this kind of situation, when she's cornered with a powerful enemy threatening to emerge soon… there's only one person whose voice can make her feel that way.

_Fang…?_

That's it… it was her battle partner's voice. How does—

That's when Lightning notices the slight vibration in her leg pouch. It's starting to hurt her waist wound, so she flips it open with a struggle. After fumbling for a while, she finally pulls out… her comm device.

Lightning holds the device in her hand loosely, faintly noticing that it is still in one piece. What luck; even after all her fighting, the device hasn't been destroyed. Fang's voice must have come from it…

But now all she can hear is static. Probably the gizmo is busted, after all... at this thought, Lightning's hand drops limply, the comm device rolling to the ground.

However, suddenly Fang's strong voice becomes audible again.

"Lightning, dammit, answer! _Bzzt… _Can you hear me? Answer me! The connection can go down anytime…_bzzzt…_"

Although Lightning hears the words, her mind is taking a longer time to process them. Forget answering; she can't even reach over to pick up the device. Despite all this, she struggles to comprehend Fang's words.

"Lightning, whatever you do, don't give up!" Fang hollers again, her voice slightly altered by all the static. _Bzzzt… "_The others are delayed by some annoying… _bzzzt…._ but… _bzzzt…_fine! Vanille and I… are coming for you!"

In her wavering consciousness, Lightning can only process a few words. The others… are fine… and Fang and Vanille are…

_Coming… here?_

"So don't you dare give up! You hear me?! WE ARE COMING!"

Right then a furious static takes over, covering Fang's voice. However, the things she said have alerted Lightning, causing a small surge of energy to flow in the soldier's limp body.

"No… don't come…" Lightning struggles to reply, but her voice is so hoarse that it is barely audible. She tries again, only to cough violently which hurts her wounds even more. Grimacing, the soldier opens her eye to stare at the comm device almost in panic.

_If Fang and Vanille come here… Barthandelus will…_

…Undoubtedly, Barthandelus is still strong enough to fight any l'Cie. He'll detect Fang and Vanille's arrival easily; and the rest isn't too hard to imagine. The massive fal'Cie would burst out of the ravines, claws out, attacking Fang and Vanille by surprise before they can even hear her warning. And she wouldn't be able to help them…

Lightning summons all the strength she has left, channeling it into speaking. She has to warn them—they can't come here, Barthandelus will kill them—

"Don't come—"

However, that's when the relentless static suddenly grows softer. Above its disturbance, Vanille's voice rings clearly.

"Lightning, I don't know if you can hear me—but please, whatever happens, don't give up! We'll do the same, Light, don't worry—whatever happens, we'll come for you!"

Lightning blinks upon hearing this. Her words died at her throat, she couldn't utter anything else to warn her friends not to come. But even if she could… it'd be useless. Vanille's words have confirmed what she should've known about the redhead and Fang: no matter what happens, no matter how much warning she gives them, they'd still come for her. They're… well, stubborn.

The static returns with a vengeance—it covers Vanille's voice, but she manages to deliver a last line.

"Please, Light… _bzzzt…_just remember, you're not alone…! _Bzzzt…_ Fang and I will come for you! We'll find you soon, so hang in there…_bzzzt…_You are not_… _alone…"

Right then the static takes over again and Vanille's voice fades away. No more voice comes from the comm device, but those words still linger clearly in the soldier's mind.

_Not alone…_

Lightning twitches. For some reason, those simple words… and those familiar voices… are making her feel much, much better. It's a nice feeling… to know that she's not alone, that there are others out there to—well, she's never thought she would use these words—_count on._

Right… this is a battle she can't win alone. Unfortunately for Barthandelus, she is _not_. Fang, Vanille, Serah and the others—they are still out there. They'll come and aid her soon… with their help, she can still win this battle…

However, this slight relief quickly turns into worry.

Because there is still a chance that Barthandelus would harm her friends when they arrive. In fact, the chance is high. Barthandelus is doubtlessly furious—the moment any backup comes for her, he would definitely attack them. And if Fang and Vanille are caught by surprise, they would…

A bitter smirk tugs at Lightning's lips. She'd never let the people who come to help her get killed, no matter what. And since telling them not to come is out of the option, then… there's only one solution to prevent Barthandelus from killing them.

She'd just have to do all she can in the time being to weaken the fal'Cie.

Yeah, right; she'd have to stand tall and fight him one more round. She'd just have to give it all she's got left, anything at all to weaken and prevent him from hurting Fang and Vanille. All she's got left… including Fafnir's final form.

This thought of having to endure even more pain makes her wounded body throb in protest, but Lightning steels herself. There's nothing to lose—even if she can't defeat Barthandelus, or falls because of Fafnir, at least she would've done all she could. She just has to do all she can… and trust her friends to take care of the rest. Because finally, she has people she can count on.

_This is the one advantage I have that Barthandelus doesn't. Backup._

Nodding slightly to herself, Lightning makes her decision. It's unpleasant, but… there's nothing else to do besides doing it. They all have a part to play in this battle—right now, she just has to do her final one.

So without giving herself a chance to back down, Lightning grabs Fafnir and forces herself into a crouching position. Her wounds flare, but she simply winces and ignores it knowing more will come. In her hand, Fafnir's flames blaze eagerly within the confines of his blade. Right now, when the setting sun covers everything in red hues, his blade looks like it's already covered in blood.

"_I see you've made up your mind, dear master. I'm glad."_

Lightning ignores the shrewd words, concentrating on observing the long wound across her midsection. Thanks to Vanille's Regen, it hasn't fully opened even after all her fighting. If she could survive with it fully opened before, then a little bit more of bleeding shouldn't kill her… she hopes.

Right then, Lightning feels the ground tremble. A distant, furious roar follows it—Barthandelus is definitely finding his way back up already. He can arrive any time now… she has to hurry.

Taking in a trembling breath, Lightning presses Fafnir's sharp edge against her wound. No pain yet—the dried blood is blocking the sword. Within its blade, Fafnir's flames pulsate even more eagerly, awaiting its feast.

Lightning breathes out, struggling to calm her brain that has been screaming about how stupid and suicidal her decision is. It's true; this is really a foolhardy bet she's taking. Whatever the outcome is later, Fafnir would be the one getting the most advantage. But despite that… Lightning would still take this stupid bet. Because it is the only way she can protect those she cares about.

_Just focus on your goal, and shut out everything else._

Right. Her own advice in doing something daunting.

Clenching her jaws, Lightning forces her hand downwards—driving Fafnir's blade into her wound.

"Ahk…!"

The sharp blade tears her flesh easily—pain immediately explodes in her stomach, drawing a sharp cry from the soldier. Lightning's mind blurs dangerously beneath all the agony, she barely remembers to keep breathing. Every breath hurts—every time she inhales, her flesh grits excruciatingly against Fafnir's blade.

Faintly, Lightning realizes that her torso is falling forward. She quickly lashes her left arm out to support her body, an action that hurts her injured shoulder. But compared to the pain in her midsection, it was nothing. As she grimaces in pain, Lightning forces her left eye open to see Fafnir.

The blade is blazing—it is half-buried in her flesh, yet it seems to be guzzling all the blood. Not a single drop of the crimson liquid flows out from her wound, as every drop seems to be absorbed straight into Fafnir. The flames in the blade are flaring brighter and brighter by each second, their color darkening into blood red. Lightning can see them clearly, even now when the sun has fully set and everything is covered in the bluish shadows of night.

Lightning grits her teeth, struggling not to faint. If she blacks out now, Fafnir can happily drain her blood to death—and she'd die uselessly. Barthandelus would be happy to see her lying dead here, looking like she just did a half-hearted harakiri.

A pained moan escapes Lightning's lips; how long is this going to last…? She thought Fafnir's going to hold off her pain!

…After he reaches his final form, yeah. He sure as hell didn't bother to specify how much blood he needs.

_Damned fal'Cie sword…_

After several torturing seconds that feel like hours to Lightning, finally Fafnir's flames stop coiling. They burn bright crimson now, and the dragon-like eye at its center has turned completely black. Softly, his voice echoes in her mind.

"_That should be sufficient... for now."_

That's all Lightning needs to hear—this pain can't possibly get any worse. Grunting, she pulls Fafnir out of her wound, causing blood to immediately flow out. Vanille's Regen is still active; it is struggling to stop her bleeding with little result. Lightning glances at the wound in desperation, the relentless waves of pain causing her body to tremble heavily…

…When out of a sudden, all the pain disappears. Lightning's eyes snap open in surprise—even her slashed right eye. Frowning, the soldier touches it gingerly. The slash wound is still there, but at least the pain isn't. She can see with that eye again… Barthandelus's claw must have injured only her eyelid. A quick glance to her torso presents her with the sight of her bleeding wound, but at least Vanille's Regen is still working on it. After all, she feels no pain there—just like her eye and shoulder.

Slowly, Lightning gets back to her feet. However, she realizes in dismay that her body is still weak.

Right… Fafnir merely holds off the pain. But that doesn't change the fact that her body is wounded, badly. With the wounds she's suffered, it is of little wonder that her legs still tremble and her body feels exhausted all over.

Yet Lightning doesn't have time to do anything else, for Barthandelus emerges from the ravine exactly at that moment.

"I'LL KILL YOU PAINFULLY FOR THAT, FARRON! YOU AND THE ENTIRE COCOON!"

That furious roar echoes from the dark ravines, drawing Lightning's attention right to the fal'Cie as his enormous form emerges. Even in the dim night, she can immediately notice the large cracks on his armor-like body from her earlier Wrath of Heavens.

That's it; she can worry about her wounds later. Right now, she needs to concentrate on fighting Barthandelus. He's just as wounded as she is; they are fighting on level ground now. Resolutely, the soldier lifts Fafnir up—

—And that's when the ancient fal'Cie sword flares with its full power, bursting into white flames that envelope its crimson blade. Lightning stares at it in amazement, watching as the white-hot flames lick the sharp edges. What Fafnir claimed is true after all; his real power was still encased in the sword. Right now when it's finally unleashed, she can feel his massive power radiating from the bright flames.

And Barthandelus notices it too.

The fal'Cie's dark eyes widen as he stares at the sword in Lightning's grip.

"Fafnir… so finally you've awaken," he growls softly. Hesitantly, his cold eyes flick to the horizon—and that's when Lightning notices it too. Somehow, the dark night has brightened up. Everything is bathed in the pre-dawn greyish light now, instead of the dark blue shadows of evening. Glancing at the horizon as well, Lightning frowns when she sees the first hints of the sun illuminating it.

Barthandelus softly growls again. "His strength hasn't waned, even after all those eons… it is even attracting the sun."

Lightning's gaze flicks back to Barthandelus. She gets it now; Fafnir's power is so great that it turns night to day. His control of fire is formidable—even the sun appears at his beckon. But as Barthandelus said… it's impossible for such a great power not to demand something in return. Grimly, the soldier glances at her waist; it's still bleeding yet with no pain at all. Still, if she prolongs this her body would eventually give away—pain or no pain.

Meanwhile, Barthandelus has noticed Lightning's wound as well. He knows what that means; his eyes flare as he grimaces angrily.

"You… you sacrificed your OWN flesh for Fafnir?!" he bellows. "Don't you fear the consequences, foolish l'Cie? That wound shall kill you once Fafnir stops protecting you! Even if you kill me, you shall _perish_ as well!" That last line comes out as a full-blown roar, so powerful that gusts of wind appear around the fal'Cie.

Despite this menacing show of power, Lightning keeps her eyes locked to her nemesis.

"I told you, didn't I? I won't let myself die here," she replies coldly.

Barthandelus scoffs. "That's impossible! You're taking a very dangerous bet, Lightning Farron. A bet you have no chance of winning! Even if you kill me, you'll die too. There's nobody else here to help you—you're completely alone! Just as how you've lived your miserable life ever since you were young!"

Those words hit a nerve. Right… she was indeed alone, ever since her parents passed away. She was indeed alone, through those long years of hardship as she struggled to give Serah a decent life. There was no one there to guide her, no one to even care whether she could survive. She _was_ alone.

Lightning's expression doesn't change, but her eyes blaze angrily. No, she can't lose her temper; it's the worst thing she can do in this kind of battle. Breathing deeply, the soldier struggles to calm herself down.

_No matter how it was in my past, right now things are different._

With this thought, Lightning looks up to meet Barthandelus's murderous gaze.

"Not anymore."

Upon hearing this reply, Barthandelus falls quiet. He considers the l'Cie standing defiantly before him, staring at her with hatred.

_Arrogant lowlife._

He's had enough of her arrogance; he's had enough of fighting her over and over again. This time, he'll end her up for good.

Roaring, Barthandelus charges forward. He doesn't care even if Fafnir is in his final form; right now, even his yearning to summon back the Makers has almost been forgotten. He's blinded by rage; he cares of nothing else except sending Lightning Farron to her demise. He _has _to kill her—she's been defying him far too many times to be allowed to live a second longer! Even if he should die, she's coming with him!

And upon seeing the fal'Cie charging forward, Lightning raises the fire sword in her hand and steels herself. True that her chance of surviving is small… but Vanille's voice still lingers in her mind.

"…_You're not alone."_

"_We're coming for you," _Fang's voice echoes as well, the stubborn determination in her voice sending some kind of tranquility to Lightning. They've got her back now—the best battle partners she'd ever have.

"_Please come back alive… sis."_

And yeah—she's got people worth living for.

* * *

><p>A furious, rapid and direct approach of a known killer is something that would trigger immediate fear in anyone, even a trained soldier. Lightning feels it too; the moment she sees Barthandelus's massive form charging at her, all focused on offense and ignoring his own defense altogether, she knows that he's set on killing her. Fear rises in her heart; but she forces herself to swallow it. Right now, she won't let it take over. No matter how great the fear is, she has to stand tall and face it—like how she's going to face Barthandelus now.<p>

After all, his all-out offense has proven something to her: his desperation. He is clearly wounded and exhausted, yet he refuses to back down. Probably it is fury that fuels him—right now, he's channeling all that rage into his limbs, eager to tear her to shreds. He has indeed become insanely powerful with such rage—but for a soldier of Lightning's caliber, she knows that this means Barthandelus possesses no defense. If she can parry his attack, there'll be nothing there to stop her from counterattacking him.

This is it. All their repeated battles and conflicts have boiled down to this moment. One of them would survive—while the other fades away.

Resolutely, Lightning dashes forward to greet Barthandelus's charge. A familiar yet foreign feeling sweeps through her… something she's always felt near the end of a life-threatening battle.

It is the knowledge that every simplest move she makes would decide life or death. Every small decision, every reflex, every movement would count. There will be no mistake from her actions; only effects. Those effects would either push her towards death, or push her towards victory. This knowledge sends energy all over Lightning, exhausted and wounded as she is. Suddenly she sees everything a lot clearer, her reflexes get sharper, and she moves a lot faster. Her heart pounds in her chest; either a defiant declaration of her will to live, or a mere requiem before it stops beating completely. Whichever way it is, it pumps energy into her limbs.

Barthandelus bellows; with great speed, his fist lurches towards Lightning. The soldier has seen the attack coming—without hesitation, she jumps onto the fal'Cie's outstretched arm and runs along it towards his head. She raises Fafnir, ready to slash at Barthandelus's neck…

When the fal'Cie roars furiously and throws himself backwards. Lightning curses; she attempts to somersault away, but her feet lose grip on Barthandelus's shoulder. Before she can do anything else, her body has slammed hard to the ground, forcing all air out of her lungs.

"YOU'RE DEAD!"

Barthandelus opens his fist, extending his claws—with terrifying speed, he slams it towards Lightning's body on the ground.

CLANG!

In the last second, Lightning manages to lift Fafnir up to block barthandelus's claws. Those talons are merely inches away from her face, Fafnir's blazing blade the only thing separating them. Lightning grits her teeth under the exertion—her hands tremble heavily under the weight of Barthandelus's claws, but she stubbornly refuse to relent. Meanwhile, Barthandelus is baring his fangs in pain as well—Fafnir's flames are burning his hand. A long, red-hot gash has formed across it where Fafnir comes into contact.

For a few painful seconds, neither of them manages to shove the other away. But finally, Lightning manages to get her feet under Barthandelus's claws. She presses them against his palm firmly—before giving a powerful shove along with her arms.

Lightning's sudden burst of power catches Barthandelus off guard. He was too distracted by Fafnir's burning pain, and hence the soldier manages to shove him away. Without wasting a second longer, Lightning leaps back to her feet, only to notice the burn wounds on her own hand. She still feels no pain from them, but her heart lurches. It seems Fafnir would still consume her flesh every time she wounds Barthandelus.

But that doesn't change anything. She still has to end this battle.

Quickly, Lightning slashes Fafnir downwards at Barthandelus's arm. He roars angrily; with his speed, the fal'Cie manages to dodge Fafnir's sharp blade. However, the flames enveloping it still find their target. A tongue of flame engulfs Barthandelus's wrist, extending all the way to the ground—and that's when Lightning unleashes her Stop spell.

"What—DAMN YOU!"

Barthandelus roars in fury—Lightning's Stop spell has taken effect, turning Fafnir's flame into a fiery chain that binds his wrist to the ground painfully. Quick as flash, Lightning does the same to his other wrist.

Barthandelus can't move now.

Bellowing, the fal'Cie attacks using the only spell he can muster. He opens his jaws, a massive Ruinga forming within it—

Lightning's blue eyes widen in alarm at this sight. Without wasting any moment, she quickly dashes backwards right when the spell shoots out of Barthandelus's maws.

BOOM!

A massive explosion shakes the land, smoke billowing thickly from the crater formed by its destructive impact.

* * *

><p>Barthandelus growls in pain—despite that last Ruinga, the fire shackles around his wrists still bind him to the ground. Worse still, he knows Lightning Farron is still alive—somewhere behind all this smoke. Hatred spreads through his body like poison, coupled with murderous fury.<p>

"YOU'RE A PATHETIC BEING, LIGHTNING FARRON!" he roars as loudly as he can into the smoke.

"You are all foolish creatures—you and your cursed l'Cie friends! Why do you even bother to fight for them? They are worthless! Your sister who can't even fight, that Yun huntress who believes she's protecting her family while all she does is playing into my plot, and that delusional Dia girl who believes in false hopes! Worse still, that useless orphaned boy, that old father and that foolish man! All of you deserve to be cleansed by the Makers—that's the only way to salvation for this foul world! JUST SUCCUMB TO YOUR FATE, L'CIE!"

With that last sentence, Barthandelus unleashes his Baptism in Ruin. In his fury, he fails to notice his depleting energy—the fast chain of Ruin spells saps his strength tremendously. As they explode consecutively with deafening boom, the fal'Cie pants heavily, struggling to regain some of his strength.

But that's exactly when Lightning leaps out from beneath all the smoke, Fafnir blazing in her hand. Her face is smeared with dried blood, but her deep blue eyes still shine as brightly as ever amidst the crimson layer.

Barthandelus's eyes widen—despite his fury, he begins to feel _fear._ Nothing he does seem to be able to stop Lightning Farron; all this time, she has never bent to his will. Not once. Never.

In this sudden paroxysm of terror, Barthandelus struggles to break free from the fire chains, roaring and thrashing desperately. Growling, his eyes inadvertently meet Lightning's—and in them, he sees that cold, calm determination he hates so much.

His hatred flares; even as Lightning raises Fafnir to deal her final blow, his eyes never leave hers. This foolish l'Cie—does she really think she'd survive Fafnir's backlash if she stabs him?

"You wouldn't dare," Barthandelus hisses hatefully. "If you stab me, Fafnir would injure you greatly as well! Even if I die, I'll drag you along with me, Lightning Farron!"

But Lightning isn't the last bit deterred. She doesn't hesitate.

"Heck care."

And with that, Lightning stabs the blazing Fafnir into Barthandelus's right eye, at the same time channeling all her remaining energy into a final Wrath of Heavens. The gigantic lightning branch cracks deafeningly, its furious power driving Fafnir's blade all the way through the fal'Cie's skull. For a few seconds, the ravines were illuminated by the white flash.

"AAARRGGH!"

Barthandelus roars in pain, but it is too late for him. The moment Lightning's Wrath of Heavens fades away, Fafnir takes his turn to blaze. The magnificent sword explodes into bright orange flames, its tongues engulf Barthandelus's body hungrily.

However, right at that moment Lightning shouts in pain as well—for that's when all of her wounds flare agonizingly. Fafnir has kept his part of the deal—the moment Lightning manages to stab Barthandelus, he stops holding off her pain.

Lightning grunts as her body falls hard to the ground, her right eye throbbing excruciatingly. And this time, the soldier knows it's not just her eyelid that's wounded. She presses a hand against her eye, feeling blood pouring out of a fresh gash across it. The gash is identical to Barthandelus's, although undoubtedly much shallower.

Lightning grits her teeth against the pain, struggling to pick herself up. Right in front of her, Barthandelus is covered in flames; his arms thrash about, but unable to draw Fafnir out of his head. Lightning glances up painfully, attempting to drag herself away—

—but that's when Barthandelus roars angrily and lifts his claws in Lightning's direction. The soldier registers this; her instincts scream at her to get away, but her body is too wounded to move. Before she can do anything, lustrous green vines have shot out from Barthandelus's claws, tangling themselves around her limbs.

"Let… go!" Lightning shouts in alarm; she thrashes wildly, struggling to break free from the vines' bind. However, it is to no avail; her energy was already drained from that last Wrath of Heavens she unleashed. Slowly, the vines lift her a few meters off the ground, hanging directly in front of Barthandelus's burning form.

Right then, a few more vines erupt from Barthandelus's mouth, shooting straight towards the immobilized soldier. These vines are different from the first ones—they possess sharp tips. Before Lightning can do anything to parry them, the vines have stabbed her open wounds.

"Akh!"

Lightning cries out in pain—the vines have buried themselves in her waist, shoulder and eye wounds. She thrashes again, but all the exertion and pain have weakened her.

_The hell… is happening?!  
><em>

In her fading consciousness, Lightning struggles to comprehend what is happening. Barthandelus is dying, that's for sure; but his last attack seems too ineffective. Why didn't he just shoot her with a Ruinga? Why… these vines…? What are they?

But that's when a faint memory comes into her mind. With dread, Lightning realizes where she's seen these vines before: they look just like those that entangle her and her friends, back there in the Pulse Vestige when they first got turned into l'Cie.

_But I'm already a l'Cie… what…_

_CRACK!_

"Ugh!"

Lightning's head jerks back—for right then, a cold pain stabs into her wounds, flowing torturously into her from the invading vines. It spreads slowly across her wounds, forcing the soldier to shut her eyes in pain. Gritting her teeth, Lightning forces her left eye to open—she has to see what's happening—

What she sees fills her with cold dread, something she has never felt before.

Her body is turning into crystal. Right there, right then, the crystal is spreading from the vines buried in her wounds. She can see her waist wound clearly through her torn overcoat—it is closing right before her eyes, as if healed by a Curaga. But it is closed by crystal, not flesh… furthermore, the crystal is spreading towards her ribs. The same cold pain in her right eye and shoulder tells her that her other wounds are being crystallised too, and that the crystal would spread to her entire body eventually. Lightning thrashes in panic, struggling to break free from the vines. This must be Barthandelus's last effort—he can't kill her anymore, that's why he's resorting to turning her into crystal.

Barthandelus bellows—all the while, his body is being consumed by Fafnir's flames. He channels his last energy into the vines, attempting to hasten the crystallisation process. As a fal'Cie, he's not supposed to crystallise his l'Cie before she completes her Focus—the consequence is his death. But right now, he's already so close to death itself. If he can do one last thing to hurt his hated nemesis, he doesn't care what it brings upon him!

Meanwhile, despite the danger threatening her, Lightning feels her consciousness fading. Her thrashing weakens; she has no more strength left… even as the vines jerk her higher above the ground and continue injecting cold pain into her body, Lightning finds herself unable to move. It already takes all her energy to even keep her left eye half-opened… if this continues, soon her entire body will be…

"GET OFF HER!"

That sudden shout echoes through the ravines, causing Lightning to twitch weakly in surprise. She struggles to clear her vision; yet all she can see is a blurred shadow dashing straight towards the vines extending between her and Barthandelus. A streak of red—and before she knows it, the vines binding her body lose their hold. Lightning falls to the ground on a crouching position, faintly realizing that the newcomer has cut the vines.

Barthandelus roars furiously. Even while Fafnir burns his body, he raises his claws, swiping them at Lightning. The soldier tenses—

—but nothing hits her. A clang resounds through the air, along with a familiar voice shouting, "Back off!"

_Fang…?_

Lightning lifts her head with much effort; but her vision is so hazy that all she can register is a blue shadow pushing the burning Barthandelus away, both of their forms getting further from her. With a tremendous effort, the soldier straightens her body so she's now resting on her knees. She can see a bit clearer now—the red streaks of Fang's lance slashing Barthandelus… and the fal'Cie's recoiling form within all the flames. How can he survive this long? The flames are already engulfing his entire body…

But right then, suddenly Barthandelus's eyes flick up and meet hers. Lightning isn't sure how she can see them with her blurred vision; but she remembers clearly seeing those cold grey orbs staring hatefully at her. They burn with so much hatred, menacingly stark amidst the flames consuming his face. However, that would be the last time Lightning sees those eyes.

BLAAAM!

…Because exactly then, Barthandelus's massive form explodes into a thousand crystal shards, an explosion so great that the entire plains tremble and groan. Lightning gasps; forcing herself to remain upright even as the crystal shards start settling to the ground.

However, the soldier hasn't noticed Fafnir. The moment Barthandelus exploded, the fal'Cie sword is sent spinning through the air, propelled by the explosion. The white flames around its blade have disappeared, but the great sword still brims with bloodlust. Now that Barthandelus is no more, he heads for the only blood source he has—he spins straight towards Lightning's neck.

…But before Fafnir can hurt Lightning, a couple of hooked wires intervenes his trajectory; slamming the huge sword to the ground beside the drained soldier with a sharp clang. Lightning blinks tiredly—she recognizes those hooked wires, but she's too exhausted to react. The only thing she manages to do is glancing at Fafnir.

The orange flames within his blade have disappeared—indicating no presence of a fal'Cie.

No fal'Cie around.

Barthandelus… is _really_ gone.

At this realization, a warm, comforting relief sweeps through Lightning, a feeling she hasn't felt in so long. Out of a sudden it feels like tons of burden have just been lifted off her shoulders, burden she's borne for way too long. Ever since they got turned into l'Cie, never for a second were they free from Barthandelus's threat. They were forced to live in constant fear, dreading his murderous approach for what feels to be a very long time… But now…

Everything is over. Barthandelus is gone; there's nothing left to fear... his threat has vanished. They're safe…

Everyone's… alive.

And despite the great relief this realization brings, at the same time it seems to make her feel even more exhausted. Lightning trembles; she struggles to fight the exhaustion, but to no avail. Her body is screaming for rest, demanding her to give in. There's nothing left to fear after all… she's done her part in this battle, she can fall back now…

Releasing a trembling breath, the weary soldier finally allows herself some respite. Her torso slumps—as all energy seems to leave her, Lightning's body starts to fall sideways.

—but never hits the ground. A pair of warm, slender arms catches her, before lowering her wounded body softly to the ground. Lightning groans, forcing her left eye to remain open. Her vision is blurry as hell, but she can still recognize Vanille's face hovering above hers. The redhead's eyebrows are frowned in worry, her mouth opened as she shouts something. But Lightning can't hear her… all she can see is Vanille's terrified expression. Strange… she can also see Vanille's hand touching the right side of her face, but she can't feel anything.

Then suddenly, the ground beneath her trembles. It's actually just a very light shake, but enough to make Lightning wince in pain. Someone else has just arrived, hovering above her beside Vanille. She knows that unruly raven hair…

_Fang…_

It's Fang, alright. The huntress kneels down beside Vanille, her eyebrows raised in horror the moment she sees Lightning's face. Vanille's mouth moves again as she says something to Fang, but Lightning can't think anymore.

Her consciousness dims—but before her eye fully closes, Lightning manages to see Fang swiping her tattered overcoat aside and Vanille's horrified gasp upon seeing her midriff. The little redhead is covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes looking utterly terrified.

Then a comforting darkness arrives, giving rest to the soldier's battered-up body.

* * *

><p>Something is wrong. It is supposed to be nighttime now, I'm sure of it. But as we run across the Archylte Steppe, the gentle light of the rising sun indicates otherwise. What's happening? How can dawn arrive so soon here?<p>

Coming up with no plausible answer, I decide to ignore the mystery and concentrate on running faster. Beside me, Hope, Sazh and Snow are sprinting as fast as they can as well. I don't know how I can keep up with them—usually they run a lot faster than me—but for some reason, today I can. As we run, the cold, fresh wind of the morning keeps blowing against us.

_Light… sis, where are you?!_

We've been running for a while, but still we see no sign of Fang or Vanille. When we managed to break through that Paling, Sazh immediately contacted Fang through our comm device. However, the connection is so bad that we can hardly understand Fang's shouting.

Still, one sentence rang out louder and clearer than the rest.

Barthandelus is dead.

A mix of feelings hit me like a torrent the moment we heard those words. The first one was shock; then relief; followed with exhilarating joy and jubilation. However, they soon turn into worry.

Because Fang didn't manage to tell us anything about Light. Amidst all those incessant static, we can only heard her shouting Lightning's name. We guessed that'd mean Light survived; but in what condition? She can be dying from her wounds right now!

A permanent frown of worry has been etched on my forehead since. I am so worried for Light... How badly is she hurt? Is she even conscious? Has Vanille started healing her?

We get no more answers from the comm device; right then, the connection entirely got cut off. We stared at each other for a while, somewhat disbelieving the news. I mean… we've been fighting Barthandelus for so long, too long. More than once, we thought defeating him was impossible. But now… he's dead?

It feels too good to be true.

Something bad must have happened. Barthandelus couldn't have gone down easily; he must have ferociously used all his power, all his strength and magic. That means… there's a high possibility that Lightning is badly injured now.

Upon drawing this same conclusion, all of us jumped onto our feet without a moment's delay. Snow, Sazh, Hope and I—we immediately sprinted as fast as we can, jumping into the deteriorating portal to Gran Pulse without giving a damn about the risk. And ever since we arrived at Archylte Steppe, we haven't stopped running. We run and run, following the trails that Fang and Vanille left for us.

Just as I feel my legs trembling with exhaustion, Snow suddenly shouts.

"Hey! There they are; I see them!"

"Who? Is Lightning there?!" I ask, struggling to see ahead myself. But since Snow is a lot taller than the rest of us, he is the only one able to see what lies beyond.

"I see Fang… and Vanille… and Light!"

That single sentence is enough to make my heart jolt with relief. Sucking in a deep breath, I force myself to run even faster, getting ahead of Snow, Sazh and Hope. My heart pounds against my ribcage, her name the only thing ringing in my head.

_Light, Lightning, sis…Please be okay…_

And then I see them. Fang and Vanille, crouching on the grass-covered ground.

"Fang! Vanille!" Sazh shouts, waving his arms.

Fang looks up immediately, her jade eyes flashing with alarm. However, she relaxes when she sees us. She waves back urgently, while Vanille straightens her torso to look around—and that's when I see Lightning lying on the ground before her.

Without wasting any more time, I dash to their side.

"Vanille, Fang! Is Light—is she—is she alright?" I pant heavily, my breathing fast and erratic after all the sprinting. I skid to a halt beside them, my eyes quickly noticing Fafnir on the ground. His blade is transparent, indicating no presence of a fal'Cie—Barthandelus… is really dead.

At this reassurance, my heart gave a jolt of joy and relief. If Barthandelus is gone, then there's nothing left to fear; even if Lightning's injured, Vanille can easily heal her—

However, that's when I catch a sight of Lightning's face—and my heart skips a beat as my eyes widen in horror.

I expected to see bleeding wounds—after all, I knew her waist wound from Yojimbo has reopened. I expected to see it, gaping red amidst her pale skin, along with countless other injuries. Yet I was also expecting to see Vanille already in the process of healing her, stitching back all those lacerations.

But what I see is worse than any wound.

…Crystal.

Smooth, glimmering crystal has covered Lightning's right eye, which remains open even now while her left eye is closed in her unconscious state. The crystal has frozen her brilliant right eye, leaving it staring ahead emptily, without seeing.

And it's not only her eye; the crystal has spread to about a quarter of her face, from the right eye up to the eyebrow, sideways to the temple, even slightly downwards to her cheek. At the boundary where the crystal meets skin, its edges are rather jagged; yet the transition is smooth as though Lightning's face has always been half-crystallized like this.

And now her right eye permanently stares blankly, a cold pool the color of the palest winter sky. Under the soft light of the rising sun, the crystal glitters rather beautifully, dots of purple and pink hues start appearing within it. But her eye is still… empty. Lifeless. Blank. Blinded…

At this, a soft sob escapes my lips. Behind me, the others are staring at Lightning as well, equally horrified. My mind feels frozen with disbelief; but that doesn't stop my eyes from noticing that other parts of Lightning's body have also been crystallized.

Left waist and shoulder. Just like her right eye, Lightning's left waist and shoulder have also turned into crystal. They glow softly, totally ignorant of my horrified gaze at them.

I didn't realize dropping to my knees, but out of a sudden I find myself kneeling beside Lightning—my face only inches apart from her crystallized eye. My hand reaches out gingerly, towards the crystal covering her waist.

It's cold. The moment my fingers graze the crystal, I immediately feel its coldness. It is smooth indeed, but hard. And cold, even colder than the dawn wind blowing relentlessly around us. Helplessly, I look up at Vanille, begging for some kind of explanation.

Vanille shakes her head, the terrified look in her eyes mirroring mine. She seems unable to talk, so I desperately turn to Fang instead. The huntress has stood up, gripping her lance tight. I look at her, pleading for some explanation. _What _exactly has happened?!

Upon seeing my silent plea, Fang lets out a voice between choking and cursing. She clears her throat, but when she speaks up her voice is hoarse.

"We were too late. When we arrived in the Steppe, we saw a massive branch of lightning tearing the sky in the distance. No natural lightning can reach that size; it had to be Lightning's Wrath of Heavens. So naturally we headed towards it as fast as we can, eventually reaching this place. But when we arrived, that damned Barthandelus was already entangling Lightning in some vines, luminous vines erupting from his claws and mouth… I didn't know what they were—but I know they can't be anything good." The huntress scoffs, her grip on her lance tightening. We keep silent, waiting anxiously for her to continue.

"… Actually by then Fafnir was already stuck in Barthandelus's head and flames were engulfing him. The only conclusion I could make was that he was dying, and attempting to drag Light along. So yeah, I did the only thing that came into my mind. I dashed in and cut those vines, they disappeared immediately... but that damned fal'Cie still hasn't given up."

At this memory, Fang lets out a fierce growl. "He tried clawing Lightning, so I pushed him away," she continues coldly. "I was going to slash his head off, but that wasn't needed. Before I could do anything to him, Fafnir's flames have engulfed him fully and he exploded."

Fang stops, staring sternly at us. "That's it for him. Only afterwards did I realize that he was actually crystallizing Lightning with those vines."

I fall silent, still unable to process all this. Slowly, I voice out the one question I dread the most.

"Is… is there no way we can remove the crystal? I mean, Barthandelus is dead now—shouldn't the crystal disappear?!"

My voice trembles; laced with desperation. My gaze drops back to Lightning, taking in her pale face, her closed left eye, her soft hair fluttering gently in the wind. She looks normal, she even looks like she's asleep… if not for the crystal covering almost half her body. In my attempt to avoid seeing them, my eyes flick back to Vanille, silently begging her to do something, anything.

But to my horror, Vanille shakes her head slowly.

"I've never seen anything like this, Serah… I've never seen anyone half-crystallized before. I've done my best; I've tried casting all the healing spells I know—but have you guys realized? Now that Barthandelus is dead, our magic is weakened. I can't even cast a Curaga anymore, let alone summoning Hecatoncheir."

Her voice rings hollowly in my ears, as empty as Lightning's crystal eye. They wipe off the last remnant of hope I had. I was thinking of summoning Phoenix, of begging him to heal Light… After all, he'd heal her so perfectly before… but now, even that option is gone. What Vanille said is true; now that she's pointed it out, I notice that I can no longer sense my magic. It seems Barthandelus's destruction has taken our l'Cie powers along as well. Vanille can still use some of her healing magic—but her magic has always been the strongest in our party after all. It seems plausible enough that some remnants still linger within her…

But that's not enough to reverse crystallisation. Lightning… will be half-crystallised forever.

At this stark realization, I feel tears running down my cheek uncontrollably. I double over, crying in anguish. I barely notice Snow's arms around me—he's whispering soothing words, but I can't stop sobbing.

It's true that we have defeated Barthandelus. A new dawn, a safe dawn, has finally descended upon Cocoon… all of us are free from Barthandelus's threat now. Yet none of us feel victorious at all.

Because the price of this freedom is too high. How could this happen to us? Why must Lightning always be the one having to bear everything?!

Even through the stream of tears, I can still see the gentle light of dawn reflecting off Lightning's crystal eye.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: if you guys have difficulty imagining Lightning's crystallized eye, try looking at Stiria's right eye then. Well, Light's crystal eye is similar to that :B as always, thanks for all the reviews guyysss. I'll do my best to update ASAP despite all those schoolwork, cos all of you are simply amazing and deserve nothing less than that. Thanks again!

For **Viento****, **thanks a lot for your review! I'm glad you love FF13 and this fic :,D Haha so you ship Flight, huh? This pairing is really popular, a lot of ppl I know ship them xD mmnyeah I just want to say that your review had really made my day :) It motivates me to keep writing despite the nonsensical amount of schoolwork, lol. Sorry again for this super slow update, but nevertheless I hope you like this chap. And your English is totally fineee, hurhurhur. See ya 'round, take careee :B

**lightning1997, **hey, hi again! So sorry to make you wait this long D: don't worry you're not being rude or anything, quite the contrary in fact. Thanks for following this fic, I'm so glad you actually look forward to reading it :,) your review has spurred me to write faster, lol. So yeah, here's the new chap for you! Hope you enjoy it… and sorry in advance, cos I can't even say when the next update will be. On lighter notes, yeah my hand's healed perfectly :) thanks for the concern!


	51. Chapter 51

"I don't know, okay! I've never, _ever _seen half-crystallization before! How do you expect me to fix everything?! I can't!"

With that yell of frustration, Vanille stomps out of the living room, followed briskly by Fang who paused just a second to glare murderously at Snow. Snow, meanwhile, scratches his head nervously. I know he didn't mean to upset Vanille; he was just asking if there was nothing else she could do. Trouble is, Vanille is already very frustrated and terrified with her recent inability. Upon hearing that question, she just… well, exploded.

Sighing, I glance across the room. Everybody is obviously in a solemn mood—even Sazh is not playing cards as usual. He just sits stiffly on the couch, while Hope stares blankly out of the window. Ironic, really… to have this kind of mood right in our moment of triumph.

Because we did win. We won, against the fal'Cie who planned doom for not only us, but the entire Cocoon. We have achieved something impossible, something that has never been done before… Instead of completing or failing our Focus, we have slain our fal'Cie. Now our brands are gone, and the Cie'th curse has been lifted. But strangely, some of us still have our magic abilities. Vanille can still cast some of her healing spells, while Fang can still use some Saboteur spells. The rest of us have more or less lost our magic… probably it has something to do with us being from Cocoon and them from Gran Pulse.

However, all that doesn't mean everything is sugar and rainbow. Quite the contrary in fact… Ever since Barthandelus's death, Cocoon has been in a mess. The fall of Barthandelus—or Galenth Dysley, as the citizens know him—means that the government has lost its Primarch. The citizens are confused and scared, while the Sanctum and the military are struggling to pull what is left of the government together. To make matters worse, Barthandelus's demise also means there is less fal'Cie to sustain Cocoon. Our massive sphere now hangs low, closer to Gran Pulse than ever. We can even ride a common hoverbike into Pulse if we want to—but this proximity only serves to increase the people's agitation.

The bright side of this all? Well, I would say it's having our final battle broadcasted to the entire Cocoon. It seems that without our notice, a watch beacon had survived the initial battle at the outskirts of Palumpolum. It then recorded the entire turmoil, despite it only managed to record the sounds due to its broken camera lens. But that's enough: the beacon has managed to capture Barthandelus's words before he blew up Palumpolum's rear sector, and the people of Cocoon had heard him loud and clear. They heard him shouting furiously, disclosing his plans of destroying Cocoon. They heard us, the l'Cie, fighting him. They finally know… that we, the l'Cie, were not trying to destroy Cocoon at all.

…And they certainly felt the entire Cocoon tremble when Lightning defeated Barthandelus, even though it took place miles away in Gran Pulse.

At this thought, a wave of sadness sweeps through me. It's been a few days since that fateful battle… and Lightning has not yet awaken. Not once. She stays unconscious, breathing raggedly in her sleep-like state. Vanille has tried healing her every day, casting all the magic spells she can muster. But it is to no avail; the crystal still starkly covers half of Lightning's body. According to Vanille, it is probably caused by the after effect of all the injuries Light's sustained during the battle. Technically, those wounds were never healed; they were just crystalized. Maybe that's why she hasn't awaken—her body is still struggling to cope with the foreign crystal etched into her system.

I let out a sigh, looking out of the window again to see the afternoon sun shining brightly. Despite all this mess, at least we still have something to be thankful about… that is, we're no longer treated like criminals in Cocoon. We can go out safely now; in fact, Snow, Hope, Fang and Sazh have made a trip to town recently. They were expecting some sort of aggression from the citizens… but luckily that did not happen. All they received were wary stares, whispers and pointing fingers in barely-concealed manner. It is obvious that the people have not trusted us fully—but at least they leave us alone and let us walk about freely. That's good enough for us, although Snow did lament the fact that we received no applause, no hero-like welcome.

However, this degree of acceptance does not extend to the military. The GC has repeatedly sent their personnel to our house to seek audience with Lightning. Apparently they want details about the fight, about how she defeated Barthandelus and all.

But Lightning hasn't regained consciousness. We told this to the GC every time they come by, yet they keep coming back almost every day. Soon their relentless queries get irritating—until one day a Sergeant mentioned the word 'interrogation' when he asked to see Lightning.

I felt a surge of anger then; but it was nothing compared to Fang's. Well, to put it simply, the huntress snapped. The moment that word came out from the Sergeant's mouth, she slammed her fist to the wall right next to his head. Her message is clear: she won't take anyone treating Lightning like a criminal, while we all know she is the hero who defeated Barthandelus. The Sergeant was terrified—he left immediately. And since that incident, the military sorts of gives us a break. They only asked us to contact them when Lightning wakes up… _if _she wakes up.

I can't stand sitting still anymore. I stand up abruptly, making my way to the staircase. The others see me, but they leave me alone. I can feel their sad eyes following me as I climb the stairs, a routine I have done so many times in these few days.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Light… how are you doing?"<p>

With that whisper, I walk into Lightning's room. As usual, I receive no reply—yet I still feel the pang of disappointment at the silence that greets me. After closing the door, I walk quietly towards the bed across the room.

Everything's still the same.

Lightning is lying on the bed, unconscious, her crystal eye glowing softly under the lamplight. Her bandaged hands are resting above the sheets; there were countless burns on them from Fafnir, and Vanille's weakened magic hasn't managed to heal them completely. Now that I stand right next to Lightning, I can see every detail on her face. I notice that her hair has grown longer—half-covering her crystalized eye. I kinda prefer it that way, though… for it ensures that no one will notice her crystal eye at first glance.

Smiling sadly, I drag a chair over and sit down, my eyes never leaving Lightning's face. At least she looks so peaceful… I wouldn't want her to be in pain.

At this thought, I can't help but glancing at Lightning's midriff. It's covered by the blanket of course… but the memory of _that _wound is still burning clearly in my mind, the memory of that ghastly, bleeding hole tearing through Lightning's torso. The wound _I _inflicted upon her. I shut my eyes closed when the image gets vivid; but I know it's useless.

Right… ever since we get back to Cocoon, I've been having these nightmares.

In my dream, I had no control of my body. My body moves by itself, straight to Lightning's room. I recall holding Blazefire Saber in my hand; I recall feeling an utter horror at the realization. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't. I entered Lightning's room, and… and stabbed my unconscious sister in the gut.

I screamed and screamed, but the dream always continues mercilessly. It is so vivid I could almost feel Lightning's blood splattering all over my hands. Usually this is the point where I wake up, drenched in cold sweat and breathing rapidly. According to Vanille, I really screamed in my sleep—that's why she or Fang always comes to check on me. But when the nightmares keep repeating, I told them not to bother. Ever since then, I locked my room's door every night—not only to keep everyone else away, but also to prevent myself… from moving into Lightning's room like what I did in the dream. Yeah, Light would've called me ridiculous for taking a dream so seriously—but then again, I just don't want to take any risk. I've hurt her once… Whatever it is, a dream or not, I don't want to expose myself to any risk of hurting Light again.

But during the day like now… I would stay by Lightning's side, leaving only to help Hope cook meals for the others. I want to be there for her when she wakes up… when she discovers the crystal covering half her body. We aren't sure whether Lightning had realized it before she lost consciousness or not; Vanille guessed she hadn't, considering the state she was in at that time. So we don't know how she'd react to it once she finds out...

Letting out a small groan of despair, I lean forward to rest my chin on the bed, next to Lightning's pillow. From this angle, I can't see her crystal eye. Maybe that's what I want... Somehow, I still can't bring myself to accept that those crystals have become a part of Lightning, permanently. Shutting my eyes, I snuggle to Lightning's neck, only to feel the coldness of her crystalized shoulder on my cheek.

I huff quietly, pulling back. I really miss her… I miss talking to her, hearing her voice, seeing her deep blue eyes shining calmly. We all want to celebrate the happiness and relief of our victory, but it's impossible to do so without Lightning. It won't feel right, at all.

And that's how we spend our days ever since our triumph—waiting and waiting in worry for Light to wake up.

* * *

><p>The late afternoon arrives. The reddish sunrays creep into Lightning's room, marking everything it touches with a tinge of red. Reluctantly, I push myself off the bed and stand up. I send Light a last glance; seeing that she shows no sign of waking up, I huff and leave the room.<p>

I have to go to the grocery store with Hope; our food supply is running low.

* * *

><p>Not long after Serah and Hope left, a certain redhead pokes her head into Lightning's room. Seeing that nothing has changed ever since she last checked, Vanille pouts and strides towards Lightning. With her hands clasped behind her back, she bends over the unconscious soldier, green eyes looking down expectantly at Lightning's closed eyes.<p>

"…Wake up?"

Nothing.

"Please?"

Still there is no reply.

Pouting her lips, Vanille leans forward. "We are all worried about you, y'know… I mean, of course you should rest considering everything you've gone through—but please Light, just wake up ASAP, ok?"

With that, the red-haired girl reaches out and pokes Lightning's arm jokingly. "Come on, wake uuup…" she sing-songs.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke, poke, poke—

"If she really wakes up, you'll be dead by now."

Vanille jumps in surprise, squealing as she turns around. The redhead huffs when she realizes it's just Fang—sauntering lazily into the room like she owns the place. With a few swift steps, the huntress walks over to Lightning and gives her cheek two quick pats.

"Hey soldier, wake up! How long are ya planning to sleep?"

Vanille rolls her eyes at this sight, convinced that Fang's earlier comment works well for herself.

"Cut it off, Fang. You'll disturb her," Vanille says, slapping Fang's hand away from Lightning.

"We _want_ her to wake up, right? It's been a while y'know, she must have had enough rest already."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Vanille raises her eyebrow challengingly.

"Well, maybe spray her with water or something..."

At this, Vanille laughs and pats Fang's arm mockingly.

"Aww c'mon Fang; we all know you wouldn't have the heart to do that to Light. You're just cranky because you miss her, right?"

"No, I'm not!" Fang blurts out immediately, a little too fast Vanille noticed. The redhead just snickers, elbowing Fang in the ribs.

"Come on, Yun Fang. I know you're such a baby Chocobo at heart."

"A baby Choco—excuse me? I have the brave heart of a Megistotherian, little one! I'm a Yun, dammit!" Fang protests, pushing Vanille away. The redhead laughs again, avoiding Fang's arm.

"Oh, really? Why, then, are you not exploring the town like the huntress you are and choose instead to stay at home to… watch over Light?"

"I'm not the only one!" Fang gets defensive, jerking her chin at Vanille. "Last time I checked, _you _are the one who wanders around Light's room like a lost sheep every time Serah's not around."

"Well, I'm just worried! Is it my fault that I was raised with a heart?"

"Oh wow, sure, what are you implying now? ThatIwasn't raised with a heart?"

"Well, technically you were kinda raised with a lance—"

"Oi! Then _you _were raised with a binding rod!" Fang retaliates. Vanille narrows her eyes at this.

"Gosh, the way you said it makes it sound like child abuse."

"Sensitive, aren't you? See, that's what you get for being 'raised with a heart'—"

"This conversation isn't going anywhere, Fang! You're not even making any more sense!"

"Well you started it!"

"No _you_ started it!"

"_Are you serious?_ You're such a—"

"Whatever you think I am, deal with it! We already got stuck together in five hundred years of crystalstasis so whatever opinion you have of me can go—"

"Keep this temerity up and Light will—"

Fang catches herself there, falling quiet immediately.

Right… no wonder it felt rather odd, bickering with Vanille so freely like this. Usually…

Usually a certain soldier would get fed up and throw some caustic, stern command to stop their 'childish bickering.'

Vanille notices this too. Her posture slumps as she gazes at Lightning's unconscious form, silence hanging heavily in the air.

"But Fang... To be honest, I really do miss her."

Fang doesn't know what to reply. She knows Vanille does; the redhead has been crying herself to sleep every night, every time her healing magic shows little effect on Lightning's recovery. Sighing, the huntress scratches her head.

"Yeah... weird, really, considering she's never talked much."

"You think she knows we are worried?" Vanille asks absentmindedly, staring blankly at Lightning's crystal eye.

At this, Fang laughs bitterly.

"She better does."

* * *

><p><em>Giant fists wreck the earth, rocks shattering like mirrors under their brute strength. Furious roars fill the air, air so heavy with smokes she can't even breathe properly. Every inch of her body feels like burning; every move she makes hurt. Yet she can't stop moving—for her nemesis is going all out to kill her, and stopping for just a second would mean her demise.<em>

* * *

><p>I walk quietly into Lightning's room again, squinting in the darkness. I feel around the wall for the lamp switch, sighing when I find it and turn the lamps on. Immediately the room is filled with light.<p>

I'm tired; the grocery store nearby was closed for some unclear reason, so Hope and I had to walk to a further one to get our food supplies. Now that it's settled, I can rest for a while—

"Ugh…"

My eyes widen at that sound; my gaze immediately falling on Lightning.

_It can't be…_

I hurriedly approach Lightning, immediately noticing how her left eye is moving rapidly in agitation under her eyelid. A tiny scowl forms on her eyebrows as she lets out another grunt.

I almost can't believe it. Lightning… she's waking up! After all the silent stillness these past few days, she finally shows some signs—

However, two things happen consecutively then, so quickly that I almost didn't have time to register what's happening.

First, Lightning's scowl deepens as her head jerks from side to side, as if she's trying to get away from an attack. Then in the next second… her left eye snaps open, brilliant blue amidst her pale face.

I didn't even have time to react—the moment her eye opens, Lightning growls and immediately attempts to sit up, her right hand lashing out in a defensive manner. I hurriedly step back, thankful that we hadn't put Lightning's gunblade next to her; otherwise she might have grabbed it right now and go full Army of One on me or something.

And then something I least expected happens. Lightning lets out a howl of pain, shutting her left eye closed and presses her palm tightly against it.

I gape at her for a while; my mind trying to comprehend what's wrong. Lightning's left eye wasn't crystalised—it should be fine—so why does it seem like it's hurting her? Don't tell me _both _her eyes are—

I regain control of my body then; without further ado, I dash to Light.

"…Light!"

Her head snaps up immediately, but with a hand still pressed tightly against her left eye. It leaves her crystal eye glaring at me, stark and unblinking.

"Who's there?!" Lightning growls, a growl so menacing that I know she might really attack me if I approach her too quickly.

Her words really shock me that I stop dead in my track. Light has always been able to recognize my voice, even in the midst of battle. Why now…

"Light, it's me… Serah. I won't hurt you," I say quietly, eyeing her closely. She still doesn't open her left eye—but now upon hearing my words she seems more… confused, than aggressive.

That's when I understand. This is one of the problems that may happen when someone awakes after being unconscious for a while: often the body has recovered, but the mind is still stuck in the state before the person falls unconscious. In Lightning's case, she had lost consciousness right after a life-or-death battle. Her mind might still be in the battle mode now; that would explain her aggressiveness.

But Lightning is just Lightning. No matter what happens, she won't hurt me.

And before she can do anything to slip away from my grasp again, I step forward and pull my sister into a tight embrace.

* * *

><p>Her heart is beating rapidly. I can feel it pounding against her ribcage—yet Lightning stays still. She doesn't push me away or anything; she just keeps still, as if she is trying to register what is happening.<p>

"Se…rah?"

Tears start to well up in my eyes when I hear her voice. Tightening my arms around her, I nod vigorously.

"Yes, Light, it's me… I'm here."

Hearing my voice seems to finally assure her that it's really me—I feel her hand rest on my back, in a hesitant attempt to return my embrace.

"Where… are we?"

"We're home, Light, at Bodhum. You're safe," I reply quietly, releasing her gently so I can look at her face. To my dread, she still refrains from opening her left eye.

"Bodhum… Cocoon?"

"Yes, home. Can't you… can't you remember anything?" I ask somewhat hesitantly, glancing at her crystal eye. She doesn't seem to have noticed it…

"I can only remember… him… he was furious… battering the ground like nothing else matters…"

It's not hard to guess who she is referring to. Even now that he's dead, I can't help but feel a chill down my spine whenever Barthandelus is mentioned.

"That battle is over, Light. You won, and Barthandelus is no more now. We have nothing else to fear."

"He's dead?" Lightning's head jerks up at this, despite her closed eyes.

"Yeah. You defeated him, Light. Remember?"

Lightning scowls, holding her head as she struggles to get her memories back. Deciding to give her some time, I pull back and stand up.

"Just wait here for a while, okay? I'll go get Vanille—"

Lightning looks up immediately upon hearing this, a hint of apprehension on her face.

"You'll… come back, right?"

Her question surprises me at first—but soon I realize how it must feel for her.

Waking up after a vicious battle, unsure of where she is, nor who she is with… only being able to hear voices, without seeing… it must be very unsettling. But I don't want her to have to feel anything like that ever again. Our long battle is over, and we don't have to wake up fearing for each other's lives anymore.

So I walk back to Lightning, giving her a reassuring hug.

"I will, Light. Don't worry, everything will be fine—I'll only be gone for a second, and I'll return with the others. We've been really worried about you."

* * *

><p>I almost fly down the stairs, my heart pounding with happiness. Lightning's awake! She's awake, and she seems fine—despite her confusion, I'm sure she would regain her memories soon. The only thing that worries me is her left eye… why does it seem like it hurts? Why won't she open her eye?<p>

The only person whom I know may be able to help is Vanille.

Barging into the living room, I almost burst into tears as I shout.

"Guys, Lightning's… awake!"

* * *

><p><em>Damn this…<em>

Lightning sits stiffly on the bed, her hand pressing against her left eye tightly again. Now that she's calmed down… she begins to make sense of the situation. Even her memories of the battle are returning, despite slowly.

If what Serah said is true, then that would mean Barthandelus is no more. Her last memory of him was… seeing Fafnir burning him down… and his eyes—they were glaring at her…

But then a vivid image of Barthandelus bursting into a thousand crystal shards appears in her mind, convincing her that it isn't just a dream. Slowly her scowl lessens—she can even remember seeing Fafnir's blade turning transparent, an indication that no more fal'Cie was around…

Barthandelus is really dead.

She should be feeling more victorious—he was her nemesis after all, the one who has nearly succeeded to kill her so many times. Now that he's no more, she should be feeling relieved… so why is it that she still feels anxious? Like something is amiss…

And that's when Lightning remembers what happened before Fafnir's flames engulfed Barthandelus. Inhaling a sharp intake of breath, Lightning drops her hand from her left eye. She has thought her left eye is hurting so much because of some injury she's sustained… but now that she thinks about it…

It should be her right eye she worries about more.

Gingerly, the soldier rises her hand towards her right eye. She has to make sure for herself… no matter how much she wishes that incident was just a dream, she must still make sure for herself…

Her fingers graze against cold crystal.

Lightning drops her hand, defeated. No wonder she still feels anxious… for Barthandelus's last attack has stayed with her.

* * *

><p>"LIGHTNING!"<p>

That sudden boom of voices startles her—Lightning's left eye snaps open, only to close again in pain. She hasn't managed to see anything in that split second, but her sharp ears can still recognize those voices.

"Lightning, Light, oh thank Etro you're awake!"

_Vanille…_

"Dammit, Light, about time you wake up! Ya know how long you've been sleepin'?"

_Fang._

"Light… how are you feeling? Is your eye… hurting?"

…_Hope._

"Glad to see you awake, Soldier Girl!"

"Whoa, it's been some time!"

_Sazh… Snow._

And despite the pain throbbing in her left eye, despite the coldness of the crystals covering half her body—Lightning smiles. Her family is here—safe and sound, just as Serah said. Their long battle is finally over.

Everyone she cares about is here.

* * *

><p>"So can you open it?"<p>

Vanille's voice rings out, from the clarity of it Lightning would guess the redhead is bending down right in front of her to look at her eye. After all the ruckus that involved embarrassing hugs and hair-ruffling in the case of Fang, Serah has pushed everyone away from her so Vanille can check on her eye.

"I can if I want to… but it hurts…"

"How does it hurt? Like, is it burning or…?"

"It's like looking straight into the sun. Everything seems too bright…"

Vanille glances at the room, noticing the lights. Even though night has almost fallen, but the lamps in this room are indeed quite bright.

"Hope, can you dim the lights a little…? Thanks," Vanille nods at the boy, who seems so worried for Light that he immediately jumps into action even before Vanille finished her sentence.

"Try opening your eyes now... Is it any better?" the redhead turns back to Lightning, watching the soldier's left eye closely.

"…"

Lightning opens her left eye for a few seconds—but then she quickly shuts it closed again.

"Not really… it still hurts, although I managed to see some blurry shapes and colours…"

"Well…" Vanille tilts her head, musing. She has seen Lightning's eye when she opened it just now—it seems fine. Clear, intense blue with no sign of dullness. The redhead glances at Lightning's crystal eye. The only explanation she can think of is that Lightning's left eye is merely suffering the side effect of having the right eye crystallized. It should get better overtime, though. The problem now is how to explain that to Lightning…

Vanille glances back at Serah, mouthing, "Does she know?" while pointing at her right eye. Serah immediately gets her question—she shrugs and shakes her head.

_I don't think so._

Vanille purses her lips, noticing that the others seem uncomfortable too. No one wants to tell Lightning about… the crystal.

A slight shake of the head from Sazh makes Vanille's decision. The redhead turns back to Lightning, giving the soldier's forearm a squeeze.

"Well, Light, I think your left eye has suffered some damage from... the injuries you sustained during that battle. It's just very sensitive to light now, that's why it hurts when you open your eyes. But don't worry, I'm sure it will heal overtime—I would just bandage your eyes tomorrow, so the lights won't hurt you."

She makes no mention of Lightning's right eye. But when Vanille turns to say something to the others, Lightning speaks up.

"I'm half-crystallized, am I not?"

Vanille froze. Fang exchanges a quick glance with Serah, while Hope's eyebrows rise in worry.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry… I remember what happened," Lightning says. "I remember you guys coming to save me before he managed to crystallize me fully."

At this, Lightning forces her left eye open and focus at the blurry shadows of her friends.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p><em>She seems so calm about it.<em>

Fang doesn't understand how, but Lightning doesn't seem too upset upon finding out that half her flesh has practically been frozen into crystal. Well, it's true that she can still move… but _still_! From what Fang vaguely recalls of her own crystalstasis, she remembers it to be kinda peaceful, yet cold and eerie at the same time… it wasn't really comfortable, especially since she remembers very little of it. Does that mean her mind somewhat got crystallized too?

Yet here Light is, answering Vanille's interrogation-style questions stoically.

"So can you see anything at all with your right eye Light? Even though it's crystallized, it seems open."

Lightning shakes her head at this. "No, I can't see anything… at all."

"Hmm… so what do you feel in your right eye, then, Light? And the other crystallized parts?"

"Nothing… sometimes they sting with sudden coldness, but most of the time I can't feel anything there."

"So it's like numb?"

Lightning falls quiet for a few seconds at this question, but she finally looks up and answers—somewhat bitterly.

"No. It's like… I can't even feel anything if someone touches it."

Fang's eyebrows shoot up. Even Vanille seems to be taken aback by this—not being able to feel any touch isn't a good sign.

"May I?" Vanille asks quietly. Lightning hesitates, but then nods.

Gently, Vanille reaches out and brushes her thumb across Lightning's crystal eye.

Nothing. No response, no reaction… no sign of her actually registering the touch. Vanille slumps back to her seat.

Sensing her withdrawal, Lightning looks down again.

"Well… it's not really a big deal," she says. "At least I can still move around without difficulty."

And despite Fang knows that Lightning is just acting stoic, the huntress can't help but giving the soldier some respect for her bravery in dealing with those darned crystal.

* * *

><p>"Alright… so for now you should just rest, okay? We'll turn the lights off, and since night will fall soon, I think I'll only cover your eyes with bandage tomorrow morning. What do you say, Light?"<p>

"Whatever."

Vanille laughs at this characteristic answer, giving Lightning's shoulder a squeeze as she stands up.

Meanwhile, Serah is examining Lightning's crystal eye. Now that she's awake, the crystal seems to be emitting a soft glow... It's a bit unsettling really.

"We'll let you rest now, Light," Vanille says. "Try to get some sleep; it's still early evening, so if you wake up at midnight later we can give you something to eat. Right now I believe you don't feel like seeing food at all."

She's right; even the thought of food now makes Lightning feel like throwing up. Shaking her head, the soldier throws herself back onto the bed. Her left eye no longer hurts so much anymore, now that the lights are off—but her other crystallized body parts have started acting up and throbbing with cold pain in exchange.

Sensing Lightning's weariness, Serah motions for everyone to leave the room. Hope nods in agreement, and he helps nudging the others out.

Lightning hears her friends leave, and tiredness immediately overcomes her. But just before she falls into a slumber, the soldier registers Serah's voice.

"Rest well, sis… I'll be right here when you wake up."

* * *

><p>A hiss of pain resonates through the dark room.<p>

Lightning wakes up with a start, a wave of cold pain sweeping throughout her body. Wincing, she lifts up her shirt to check on her crystalized waist. It still looks the same as ever—which is just that. Frozen. It doesn't seem to be throbbing or anything, but it still hurts. Lightning lets out a frustrated groan, letting her shirt fall back. That's when she noticed something.

She can see. Despite things seem kinda blurry around the edges, but she can definitely see them without cringing in pain.

Upon this realization, Lightning turns her head around to look at the window. Night is reigning; the only source of light is the small stream of moonlight flowing into her room. The only explanation she can think of is that this lack of bright light favours her sensitive left eye. As for her crystal eye, it still can't… see, or feel, anything.

_Well, at least I can see a bit now._

A glance at the clock on her bedside table tells her that it is nearly two in the morning. She has only slept for a few hours. Lightning struggles to sit up then, scowling when she finds herself having to drag her body up. Damn this… even though her eye feels better, but the rest of her crystalized body parts are hurting so much, making it hard to move.

Yet the soldier still forces herself. With a grunt, she shifts to the edge of the bed, pushing herself to stand. A wave of dizziness hits her immediately; cursing, Lightning grabs the bedside table to steady herself. Unfortunately, her hand inadvertently knocks the clock, causing it to fall noisily to the floor.

_Now that's annoying._

She waits for a few seconds for the dizziness to lessen; when it does, Lightning straightens up slowly.

With a huff, the soldier turns her gaze to the window again. Now that she's standing, she can see more of the scenery outside. Wisps of clouds are currently passing the moon, obscuring its light and covering the room in shadows. Shrugging, Lightning turns around to face the mirror hanging on the wall opposite her. She feels hesitant at first, but decides that she just has to see it for herself.

In a few careful steps, Lightning reaches the mirror. She looks down, frowning slightly. When the moon reclaims its full shine and floods the room with dim silver light, the soldier huffs and looks up determinedly at her reflection in the mirror.

An unfamiliar face gazes back at her, taking Lightning a few seconds to recognize it as her own. The jagged, pale blue crystal has covered about a quarter of her face, shimmering indifferently under the moonlight as if it has always belonged there. The crystal has frozen her right eye into a permanent blank gaze, looking perpetually forward without seeing. Even Lightning herself was slightly taken aback by that empty glare which reminds her too much of… Barthandelus.

Shaking her head in annoyance, Lightning looks away from the mirror. Barthandelus is dead now; no matter what his last attack leaves her with, he isn't here to take advantage of it anymore. Her only problem is merely to get used to the crystal etched into her body. She really wished the cold stabbing pain accompanying the crystal would disappear, though…

"Lightning?"

Lightning turns around right when the door creaks open. That familiar pink-haired head pokes in—Serah. Lightning notices that her sister still has her hair in her usual side-ponytail, making her wonder if Serah has slept at all.

"Light, are you okay? I think I heard something fall… oh."

Serah seems to have adjusted to the dim lighting in the room. She looks surprised to see Lightning up and standing, and the older Farron just shrugs. She gestures at the clock on the floor.

"Sorry, I accidentally knocked it over. It's nothing, Serah."

* * *

><p>When I saw her standing, I felt surprised initially—but then I felt relieved, for Lightning seems alright. She is standing without support, not even wobbly at the slightest. I smile at her, but I don't think she can see me in this dim light. Besides, it's probably this poor lighting that allows her left eye to see, after all. I can see her left eye open, and Light doesn't show any sign of it hurting as much as before.<p>

"Go back to sleep, Serah, I'm fine. On that note, did you even sleep at all?"

_Of course, _I think in slight amusement. _She always knows. _

"How about you, Light? Shouldn't you go back to sleep too?" I ask her back.

"I can't sleep."

I fall quiet at this, watching Lightning walk carefully back to her bed and sit down at the edge. She gazes out of the window, seemingly lost in thoughts.

Well, if she can't sleep… then maybe I can talk to her…? I've been waiting to have some quiet time to talk to her, for I have some things I _really _need to tell her. But is it appropriate now, right after she wakes up…?

However, I figure that in the morning everyone will be fussing over Light and I won't be able to talk to her in private. Besides, I can't take it anymore… I _have_ to apologize to her. I make my decision and step into the room.

"Hey, Light… can I talk to you for a while?"

Lightning looks up immediately at this, her eye questioning.

"Sure."

* * *

><p>It feels comforting, sitting next to Lightning. She has this aura that makes me feel so… safe. And that's what she has always done. She's always… saved me.<p>

I look down at my hands, clean and smooth under the gentle moonlight. But a different image dances at the back of my mind; the memory of these same hands, trembling and covered with blood… _Lightning's _blood.

I shut my eyes closed almost out of reflex. No matter what, that memory still haunts me, terrifying me with its vividness. But still, there is nothing I can do to erase it. I _did _do those things… I _did _stab my own sister.

"Serah? Hey, are you okay? You look kinda… pale," Lightning's voice takes me out of my reverie.

I look up at her face, my eyes meeting her mismatched eyes. Under the moonlight, her crystal eye glints slightly. Despite its emptiness, though, her left eye still shines as usual—warm and concerned. Upon seeing it, I decide to just let it out.

"Light… do you—do you remember… what happened in that plains near Palumpolum, right before you chased after Barthandelus into Pulse?" I ask quietly.

Something flickers in Lightning's blue eye, but it vanishes almost immediately. She looks at me intently, before answering.

"…Yes."

"Can we… talk about what happened there?" I ask again hesitantly.

"Only if you want to," Lightning replies immediately, a slight shadow of worry casting her face. I know she's worried about me—something I really don't deserve.

Without giving myself a chance to back out, I let the words flood out of my mouth, words I've been longing to say ever since Lightning left me on those plains.

"I'm—I'm so sorry about what happened! I really am, Light, I don't know how I could possibly do it—I stabbed you, for Etro's sake. You told me to stay with Vanille and help her heal the others, but when I saw that crazy attack of Barthandelus's exploding in the distance… I couldn't just stay put, and I went chasing after you. I thought I could help—but before I found you, Barthandelus found me first. He attacked me—then I couldn't remember anything else. When I regained my consciousness I was at those plains with you—_stabbing _you."

My voice trembles, but I force it to continue despite the crushing feeling of guilt and shame that was threatening to overwhelm me.

"I should've—at least tried resisting Barthandelus's control—but no, I succumbed immediately to his power and did whatever he made me do. Fang was right—my resolve, my strength, is really weak. I should've tried to resist following his commands, but I didn't. It was—it was my fault you got—"

But a none-too-gently pinch on the cheek stopped me right there, drawing a protesting squeal from me.

"Ouch, Light! What—"

"…You talk too much, little one," Lightning answers immediately, smiling slightly at me. "Of things that were never your fault."

"But I—"

"Nope, now it's my turn to talk. You've exhausted your chance when you started talking about things that weren't true," she cuts me mid-protest.

I look at her in mild surprise. "What do you mean…?"

Lightning huffs as if my question has an obvious glaring answer.

"Didn't I tell you this before? It was never yourfault Serah," she says sternly. "It was _Barthandelus_. His power was undeniable—even I struggled so much to keep up with him in that battle, to even stay alive for another few seconds. No one can expect to overcome his power easily, for he _is _a formidable fal'Cie. That's a given—that's why, I find it ridiculous that you blame yourself for not being able to resist his control. I mean, imagine if it was someone else—someone who isn't as strong as you are. He might've died or gone insane immediately when Barthandelus took control of his mind."

I stare at her incredulously. "How can you call me strong? I failed to—"

"Really, now?" Lightning cuts me again. "You regained control of your mind after you stabbed me, right? Had you not succeeded to do that, I might've died right there. I doubt anyone can break free from Barthandelus's control like that, even after he fled the area. So yeah—that's proof enough of your strength, Serah. Besides," Light adds, pausing with a smug look in her eye. "…You _are _my sister, after all, so of course you were strong enough to overcome that damned fal'Cie's control."

At this unexpected smugness, I was speechless for a second, before an unintended laughter escapes my lips. It was the first genuine laugh I ever had since we returned from Pulse. Lightning looks satisfied upon hearing it—she ruffles my hair with a smirk.

"See now? Your strength was what saved me. Barthandelustried to useyou to do his dirty work, but you stopped him before he succeeded. I'm alive now, am I not?" Lightning smiles gently. "Thanks to you and your Eidolon. Which you, on that note, tamed on your own without help."

I grow quiet, watching her still with hesitation. She can't be—not blaming me at all? I _did _manage to overcome Barthandelus's control at the end, and summoned Phoenix to heal her—but still, that wound I caused her must have hurt like hell—

"C'mon now, little sis. Make this easy for me—talking has never been my forte," Lightning says, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I know your habit of overthinking things cannot be healed overnight, so I just have to spell it out for you: whatever happened back there, it _wasn't_ your fault. I know you never want to hurt me, and that's enough." At this, Lightning narrows her eyes. "After all, you know I can't stay mad at you for too long."

I can't help but smile at that. I wanted to say something, but right then the dam that has been holding my tears decide to give up. A stream of tears flows down my face, falling on my hands. Upon seeing Lightning's oh-damn-she's-crying-what-did-I-say-wrong face, however, an awkward giggle escapes my quivering lips. I push her shoulder playfully.

"I'm not crying because you said anything wrong, Light, calm down. Quite the contrary… I'm—" A sob racks me then, but I swallow it resolutely. "…Relieved. And… grateful."

Lightning huffs, pushing me back. "I should be grateful to _you. _You saved my life back there."

"Not as many times as you did for me."

"This conversation is getting repetitive." Lightning rolls her eyes.

I laugh, wiping my tears away. "Sorry."

"And one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"I just want you to know that… I'm proud of you, Serah. You've grown up so much from that little girl who kept running to me crying whenever she did something wrong. You can get things right yourself now… without any help. So yeah—I sure as hell am proud of you, little sis."

My tear dam almost gave way again at this, but I willed it to hold. Breaking into a wide grin, I lunge forward to hug Lightning, ignoring her surprised grunt.

"And I'm so glad I have you to teach me how to live, Light. You're the best sister, _ever_."

"Uh… thanks. I guess you are, too."

I laugh again upon hearing her awkward reply. Light has never been good in expressing her feelings in words, after all. So I just hug her tightly, and we keep still—just being together, enjoying each other's company without having to fear for our lives anymore.

* * *

><p>Things go smoothly the next morning. Vanille has just succeeded in forcing Light to eat some food, and now she is asking Snow to fetch some bandage for her to bind Lightning's eyes. Meanwhile, Hope and I are drawing the curtains close, as Lightning's left eye has started to hurt again the moment the sun shines brightly into the room. Sazh has also helpfully dimmed the lights in the room, while Fang just watches with a thoughtful expression as Lightning tries to open her eye a little.<p>

A few seconds later, Snow stomps back, a roll of fresh bandage in his hand.

"Here ya go, Light—!" he says cheerily, and _throws _the bandage to Lightning.

Everyone stares at the soaring bandage in horror— even Snow immediately notices his folly as he stares wide-eyed at the bandage he just threw without thinking. Vanille lashes her arm out, trying to catch it; but it was out of her reach.

Yet when everyone expects the bandage to hit its mark, Lightning suddenly moves, extending her hand towards the bandage—

—which immediately stops in mid-air. A gentle greenish glow surrounds it, which almost everyone recognizes immediately.

A Stop spell.

"Whoa. Someone can still use her magic pretty well, huh?" Sazh comments in awe. Hope quickly dashes to the bandage and retrieves it so as to avoid any other stupid incidents.

"What do you mean 'still'?" Lightning asks, looking confused.

"Most of us have lost our magic abilities, Light," Hope explains, handing the bandage to Vanille. "Only Fang and Vanille can still use some magic, but not very strong ones. Honestly, even they can't muster a Stop spell now."

"Geez, thanks for the reminder," Fang whispers sarcastically, folding her arms as she leans against the wall in slight annoyance.

Meanwhile, Lightning falls quiet, contemplating this new information. She can still feel her magic buzzing as strongly as usual… does it mean her abilities have not waned? Does it have something to do with her being half-crystallised as a l'Cie?

Then her thoughts get cut off by Vanille, who begins to wrap the bandages around her eyes. As darkness surrounds her, the pain in her eye lessens.

"Better?" Vanille asks as she leans back, observing her handiwork. She has tied two layers of bandage over Lightning's eyes neatly, ensuring that they are not too tight or loose.

"Um… Yeah."

"Not too tight? Or loose?"

"Nope."

"Good," Vanille says, grinning. She straightens up and turns to the rest of us.

"Alright, then. Now everyone get out—let's allow Light some rest." Vanille declares, gesturing at the door. She then turns to Lightning again, giving her arm a light pat. "The pain should disappear with time and rest, Light, don't worry. Technically, your body is uninjured; so you should get better soon."

"I hope so… thanks," Lightning replies almost absent-mindedly.

Vanille smiles despite knowing Lightning can't see it, before ushering everyone out. Fang pushes herself off the wall, sending Lightning a last glance. The soldier is sitting stiffly on the bed, her head bowed, the strip of bandage covering her eyes. Shrugging, Fang follows the others out of the room.

Only when she hears the door slams shut does Lightning let a grimace appears on her face, as she presses a hand against her crystalized waist.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **It's been really a while since the last update, right? I guess... about 6 months? ._. I'm really sorry for that. I know it doesn't feel good to be following a story and it suddenly goes into hiatus right before the conclusions. Frustating, to say the least. So yeah—for this, I truly apologize. I dont think anyone would be very interested on the reason behind the hiatus, so I'll just say that life in Junior College hasn't been easy for me. Studies are... hellish, to say the least. I've been studying like crazy this whole year, but now I can safely say that I will be promoted to JC2 next year. So yeah... at least all those studying pays off. Anyway, school holidays started at the end of November, so I've immediately jumped back into writing this fic. Here is the new chapter, finally. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. But dont worry, I'll do my best during this holiday to finish up the last few chapters of this fic :)

And then... I do owe some words to some people.

**lightning1997**: Hi again~ i just have to say that I'm really sorry for making you and everyone else wait so long for this update. I know you've been writing some reviews asking me when I would update; I did read them, and I really wanted to give you some explanation about my hectic college life and some info about the update. Trouble was, I couldnt send you a PM since you dont have fanfiction account ^^" I felt really guilty over this, trust me. At least now I can personally apologize to you, and just hope this update redeems the long hiatus ^^" On a lighter note, I also wanted to thank you for your support even when I was on hiatus. Much thanks for that :,3

**fadedSorrow**: Hey, hi :D I really want to thank you for all the reviews. I truly appreciate all of em, and honestly they've made my day brighter whenever i read them :,) They are really awesome mood-boosters whenever I'm having an exhausting day at school. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far, and I just hope you enjoy this long overdue update as well :,)

**quynhessence**: Now you're the one I've been wanting to talk to so badly over the last few weeks of school xD First things first, I really want to thank you for everything you've written in your review. You've made me feel so flattered and… happy. Yeah :,) Thanks a lot, I truly appreciate your kind words and intention. Especially the fact that you took your time to write me such an elaborate, thought-provoking review :,3

So now, I'd love to address the issues and questions you raised in the review. No worries, I don't feel offended at all. The points you raised are indeed valid and reasonable, and I appreciate that. In fact, I gotta admit that I enjoy this opportunity to explain my viewpoint and reasoning :P I've put a lot of thoughts behind certain things I write in the fic, but of course I cannot include them in the story. So it feels good to have someone enquiring, cos I can finally explain things properly xP I have to admit that my reasoning for doing certain things isn't always logical or morally-right, but I'll still disclose em. You've been very honest and detailed in explaining your viewpoint to me, so I believe it is only fair that I give you nothing less than that :) Beware though, my next sequence of explanations might get a tad long and… elaborate :P

So yeah, the first issue I'll address is the one about Snow. I admit that I do tend to push him away in the fic, and that it makes his presence seem useless. In the game, the reason for his presence in the story is clearly because of his love for Serah, as you aptly pointed out. But I believe that is not his only reason for wanting to protect Cocoon. I think he does care for Cocoon itself in the first place. I'm sure you know that scene at Palumpolum where Snow confronted Yaag Rosch? This was what he said to Rosch: "Cocoon is our home. How can we even think about destroying it?" From that scene, I drew the conclusion that Snow does care for Cocoon. He won't sit still while Barthandelus is threatening to destroy his home. Especially with his heroic antics and tendency to try to save everyone, like what he displayed when he and team NORA tried to free the Cocoon citizens during the Purge. And that's why I still include him along with the others in their quest to save Cocoon in the fic.

But I have to admit: it _wa__s _actually possible for me to also include the relationship between Snow and Serah in the fic, to make it more realistic and closer to the in-game story. It's just that… I didn't try hard enough to do it ._.

You see, I have to say again that I don't like Snow. That is why I don't spend time getting to know him... I know very little of his motives, feelings and reasoning. This is so much different from what I did for the other characters, especially Lightning, Fang and Vanille. I spent countless hours replaying scenes from the game, trying to understand their motives and feelings in everything they do. That is why I can develop their characterization well enough in the fic. But… not Snow. I don't know him well enough. So I cannot pull it off, integrating him into the story smoothly while keeping the dynamic between him and Serah realistic. And another reason is… well, I can say I understand quite a bit about sisterly love, since I have a younger sister myself. But I definitely can't say the same regarding… love, as in the kind couples share. I've always been more of a family person—with all due respect, I just have to admit that up till now, I still can't really understand the dynamic of love between boyfriend/girlfriend. Ok that may make me sound like some melancholic nerd, but that's the truth ^^" I just didn't want to write about something I barely understand. So yeah… these are why I omitted SnowxSerah relationship in the fic.

Alright, now moving on to the second issue on Serah being OOC. You said Serah in my fic seems too overly attached and dependent of Lightning and a bit too immature for her character in the game. Again, you're right :) I am aware of it, it's just that I choose to ignore it due to some… selfish… reasons. Ok I'll just be very honest here. I'm biased. I love Lightning way more than Serah. Coupled with the fact that I don't really like Serah for seeming to care more about Snow than Light in the game, it results in me portraying Serah as somewhat… inferior. Might sound childish, altering the original to satisfy my own taste—but yeah, that's what I did. I do try my best to keep her in character, but I guess the way I portray her as someone inferior defeats the effort. My own portrayal of her often wins, and I can't help it. I do try to redeem this by keeping the other characters as how they are portrayed in the game, though. ^^" So I can't say much about this, nor will I give any excuses. It's just… something selfish I did.

And you also raised your viewpoint about how Serah's attitude to Lightning's reckless attitude should have been. You said you'd like to see her accepting Lightning's selflessness in a kind of quiet, intimate, I-worry-about-you-risking-your-life-for-me-but-I-love-you-for-it kind of way. I must say that I agree :) I do see it that way, it's just that I think my portrayal of it differs from what you expected. Well, as they say, people have their own ways of seeing things :P So yeah, I'll elaborate on this. Unlike my selfish reasoning before, I do have two neutral opinions/interpretations of love which result in this current portrayal of Serah's attitude towards Light.

Firstly, I always believe that when we love someone, we would want that person to be safe. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to that person. That's why we spend so much time worrying about the people we love. And when we're worried about someone, I think we would tend to say something. It can be as short as "be careful," or it can even be an elaborate lecture about staying safe and making wise choices. So yeah… this is what I am thinking when I portray how Serah accepts Lightning's reckless and selfless attitude. She does love Lightning for it and would never want her to change. But I believe this attitude of Lightning would also make Serah keep worrying for her safety. I just think Serah wouldn't let Light go jumping into danger without saying anything. And that's where all the scolding and warning you see in the fic stems from ^^"

Secondly, I also believe that scolding someone is actually proof that we care for them. I think this belief stems from what my mum told me before: "If I scold you, it means I still care about you."  
>It's true, really. Scolding someone is actually tiring. But if we love someone and we see them doing something reckless that endangers themselves, I believe we <em>would<em> scold them; telling them to be more careful in preserving their life. Simply because we love them, we are worried for them and we want them to be safe, like what I mentioned in my first point. And this is why my attempt to portray how Serah loves Lightning despite her recklessness involves so much scolding ^^" I just can't imagine that Serah would keep quiet when Light risks her life, even if it is to save her. I think the absence of scolding can be scary, even. This is because I've experienced those rare times when my mum gets really exhausted and mad at me, that she would just keep quiet and tell me I can do whatever I want. No scolding, no warning. But for me, that silence is waaaay scarier than any scolding ._.

So… there. These are my reasons behind my current portrayal of Serah's attitude towards Lightning :) I'm not saying this is the most ideal way of portraying it, but at least this is how I honestly see it based on my own experiences and opinions ^^

Also, this proves that my fic is far from perfect. There are characters (mainly Snow and Serah) which I could not portray as exactly as their in-game selves due to selfish or shallow reasons. No excuses for that, but at least I've explained my honest reasons… so maybe you can understand my viewpoint, as flawed as it might be :)

Anyway, I really am glad that you like Lightning's and Fang's characterization :B These two are the ones I love most from the entire FFXIII cast, and I'm just relieved that it seems I've managed to portray their characters well enough ^^ I have to do them justice for being so awesome and inspiring, after all :P

Oh, and you're right again. English isn't my first language :P So actually when I write this fic, I see images. I imagine how the scenes would look like as one of the game's own cutscenes. And then I merely recreate the scenes I see in my mind in English :) although, admittedly some of the words I need to describe the scene sometimes come into my mind in my first language—so I have to then think of the English words for them. But mainly I find myself being able to describe the scenes immediately in English, hehe :D probably because I read a lot of English books ^^ And also because I personally think English is a beautiful language. I can express so many subtle things with precision using certain English words, words that do not even exist in my own mother tongue. I do try my best to use the exact words to describe every scene in the fic, to make it as vivid as possible. Maybe that's why my sentences can be beautiful, as you kindly said ^^

So yeah, I guess that's all I have to say. Again, thank you so much for the review. I really enjoy replying it :3 I just hope my explanation makes sense, haha. They _are _long, now that I look at em O.o oh,and I do hope the rest of this fic holds up to your standards and liking! :P


	52. Chapter 52

Lightning hasn't gotten better.

Two days after she woke up, she suddenly caught a high fever; a fever so high that it makes her weak and exhausted. As if that wasn't enough, Light finally admits that the crystals have been hurting her. When I asked her for more details, she said they've been stinging with cold pain, without respite, ever since that day she woke up.

I got so worried, but Vanille said the fever and pain are just a result of Lightning's system reacting to the crystallization. Most probably, her body is still trying to fight off the foreign element. Vanille is sure they would disappear on its own though, once Lightning's body adapt to the crystal. After all, those crystals do not seem to be invading her body, nor do they spread. They're just… there. The only treatment she can advise for Light is complete bed rest. Not that Light needed the advice—the fever already left her exhausted almost all the time. She didn't even have the strength to protest her being 'imprisoned' in the bedroom all day.

And so we've spent the past few days waiting for Light to get better. We haven't reported her waking up to the military, fearing that they would start questioning her despite her condition. We just spend the days quietly, almost in a relaxed state. Because at least Light _has_ woken up, and we know she'll pull through this one. She's gone through way more insane ordeals to be defeated by a puny fever, as Fang said.

* * *

><p>The morning sun is shining warmly into the living room, warming the couch on which Lightning is resting. Vanille thought some sunlight would do her good, so she asked Fang to help move Light to the living room. Light just shrugged, too tired to protest as Fang slung her arm over her shoulders. Now it seems she has fallen asleep, though, with her right arm draped over her bandaged eyes. It's true that her left eye has gotten better, but Vanille still wants to bandage it for a little while more.<p>

As I stare at Lightning, I catch Vanille's eyes. She is currently sitting on the floor, hugging her knees and leaning against Lightning's couch. She smiles at me, mouthing "she's fine, don't worry," with a gesture towards Light. Returning her smile, I turn around to join Hope. The boy is sitting on the sofa, watching Sazh teaching Fang to play chess. They're currently in the middle of a heated argument, which I can't help but chuckle at. Apparently, Fang still can't accept the fact that the Knight cannot move freely over the board.

"It doesn't make sense, old man! Why must my Knight move in that stupid 'L' pattern? He has a horse for a reason, dammit! He should be able to canter all over the board!"

"It doesn't work that way, Fang! This game's got rules!"

"Well, the rules are obviously unrealistic; have you forgotten how Light moves on Odin? _That's _how a knight should be able to move, not this pathetic hopping around!"

"Look, Fang, don't ask me about this—I didn't make the rules! I'm just explaining it to you; so you just learn it, obey it and play!"

"Sorry old man, I don't usually obey rules."

Sazh sighs heavily, leaning back on his sofa. "Did I just waste fifteen minutes of my life?" he asks the chuckling Hope, sending Fang an irritated glare which the huntress replies with a lazy smirk.

"Hey, I didn't ask ya to teach me. You were the one who was looking for someone to play with."

"I hope Snow comes back quick," Sazh says dryly. "Come to think of it, isn't he taking a little too long for grocery shopping?" he asks, turning to me.

But before I can answer, the door slams open and Snow strides in with a grin on his face.

"Hey, guys, look who I just met!" he announces loudly. Without waiting for any response, he moves aside for the guest to walk into the stunned room.

My eyes immediately widen when I recognize him.

Those warm brown eyes, that burly build… those epaulettes each shining with two solid, orange lines.

Lieutenant Amodar.

* * *

><p><em>It's been so long since we last saw him!<em>

A smile automatically widens on my face upon seeing the Lieutenant that I have grown to regard almost like an uncle. I was just about to move forward to greet him—when I suddenly notice the tense atmosphere in the room. Glancing back in slight alarm, I immediately see that Fang, Vanille, Hope and Sazh have stood up, warily crowding around Lightning—blocking her from the Lieutenant's view.

Immediately I realize that they don't know Lieutenant Amodar, that they must have seen his uniform and thought he was one of the military personnel sent to question Lightning. But before I can introduce him, Lieutenant Amodar has spoken warmly to me.

"Well, long time no see, Serah Farron! I see you've gotten yourself quite some interesting companies," he grins widely, looking at Fang and the others. "Is your sister around?" he asks, stepping forward.

But before he can move another step, Fang has suddenly stood at her full height right in front of him, her lance gripped in her right hand.

"Not another step, fal'Cie servant," she hisses, her jade eyes flaring dangerously.

* * *

><p><em>Something's wrong.<em>

Lightning knows something is happening—dammit, she can _sense _it. Maybe it's just her being so accustomed to dangers, but what makes this time different is that she can't move. At all.

Lightning tries to open her eye, but stops when she vaguely remembers that it's all bandaged up. With her fleeting consciousness, the soldier focuses her mind on hearing.

She can't hear anything much. A few rustling sounds, some indistinct voices—but nothing too extreme, like a shout or a scream, fortunately.

The only thing she can sense is that people are crowding around her… the fact that she feels calm enough despite knowing this tells her that those had to be her friends. Now that she makes that conclusion, Lightning can vaguely feel Vanille's presence beside her, the girl's slender hand resting on her upper arm.

_What's happening…?_

But it was no use. At that point a massive headache suddenly strikes her, forcing the soldier to cringe. Before long her vague consciousness has faded into indistinct rush of darkness.

* * *

><p>Amodar looks mildly surprised upon this antagonism from Fang. Surprised, but not afraid. At this point, though, I finally manage to draw everyone's attention by clearing my throat loudly. Even Fang spares a glance at me.<p>

"Guys," I begin, a little sternly. "This is Lieutenant Amodar, Lightning's direct supervisor in the Guardian Corps. He's helped Light and me a lot, so we can be sure that he means us no harm. Relax." I said that last word while looking, a bit apologetically, at Fang. She still looks doubtful, though, and holds her ground.

"Errr… I know you guys have never met him, but really, he's cool! I met him just now at the town and he was asking about Light, so I brought him here to visit!" Snow tries to explain as well, grinning reassuringly.

At this point, though, Amodar suddenly chuckles, drawing everyone's attention to him again.

"I understand your wariness," he says, addressing Fang and the others. "And honestly, if I'm at your position, I would be wary as well—given how badly the military has been manipulated by our own Primarch. But I'm not here to mean harm to any of you. I'm just here to check on Lightning."

Fang narrows her eyes. "And you want to 'check on' her because…?"

"Because we need to question her."

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Fang growls, stepping towards the Lieutenant. "We did nothing wrong, in fact we stopped that manic fal'Cie from blowing your little Cocoon to smithereens—and now you want to 'question' Light? It sounds much like a damn criminal interrogation to me!"

But instead of being intimidated, Lieutenant Amodar looks amused.

"'Light,' huh... as far as I know, she doesn't let just _anyone_ call her that," he observes. "You guys must have been quite close."

This change in topic seems to startle Fang, for she was rendered speechless for a second. Amodar quickly uses this chance to speak.

"Well, lady, I don't know your name—in fact, I don't know many of you here," he admits, looking around the room boldly. "But it's clear that you guys are Farron's friends. So I would repeat myself: I'm not here to harm anyone. If Farron isn't ready, obviously I won't take her to questioning. And on that note, please do not think of it as an interrogation. Trust me, the military is currently quite… wary… of you guys. We won't even dream to treat you like criminals! We did hear the Primarch's own disclosure of his terrible plans during your battle, after all."

"Then what's the need for questioning?" Hope suddenly speaks up. Amodar turns to look at him, but the boy doesn't even flinch before the formidable Lieutenant. He holds his gaze steady… and I think I glimpse a little resemblance to Lightning on that gaze. She would've been quite proud to find her 'subordinate' developing this rebellious attitude towards the authority, I think glumly. It's just her style, that feistiness.

Meanwhile, Amodar is explaining patiently.

"The situation isn't that simple, young man," he grunts. "As much as I hate paperwork, there are currently plenty of papers demanding to be filled. Cocoon is in a mess—too much has changed in too little time. Probably it hasn't felt that way to you guys, given everything you've gone through. But for the rest of us, everything is a-changing. And people are _afraid _of all these changes_. _We need to explain the situation to them, and soon. But to do that, we need information to help us make sense of the situation… from those who fought personally in that fateful battle."

Here he looks around the room pointedly. "We have first questioned our own PSICOM soldiers who were involved in the battle, of course. But even then, the information they provided is not enough. We also need some background information—like how you guys discovered the Primarch's plans to destroy Cocoon, for example."

"Just for your own welfare," Fang suddenly says humorlessly. "I think you military people had better stop calling that manic killer 'Primarch.'"

Amodar nods at her direction. "You have precisely proven how much we need enlightenment, there." Turning to the rest of us again, he continues. "As you can see, we are still used to regarding our 'Primarch' with respect. Had we not heard his own voice disclosing his destructive plans, we wouldn't have believed it. That's why we are so desperate for information. Everything that we believed was true, has been proven not so. We need some direction here, and some explanation from your part would be invaluable to getting the situation straight."

Upon this short speech, the atmosphere of the room changes from wariness to resigned silence. What the Lieutenant said was true—sooner or later, we _have _to explain things properly to the military. The best person to do so is obviously Lightning—but for now…

"Lieutenant," I finally say, stepping forward. Amodar turns to face me, somehow managing to click his tongue and smile at the same time.

"You're just like your sister, eh, Serah? Always so formal. I thought I told you to just call me by name."

I smile at this, easing up. Lieutenant Amodar has always been nice… almost father-like.

"I admit there are some parts of the story that only Lightning knows," I tell him. "But if you don't mind that, I'm willing to go with you to the questioning. I'll explain as much as I know, Sir, but the rest… you'll have to wait for Light to get better for the answers."

Fang's head snaps to look at me, her eyebrows raised. The others do look startled, but at least not worried. So at least they know Amodar isn't gonna harm any of us, I think in relief.

"Well, that would be perfectly fine, Serah. Can you come with me right now to the HQ for the questioning? No intention to rush you, of course—but we need the information ASAP so we can put things in perspective. We have waited long enough, actually."

"No problem, Sir."

"Hey, Serah. You sure?" Fang cuts in sternly, frowning at my sudden decision.

Smiling reassuringly at her, I shrug. "Yeah. You know we have to explain things sooner or later, Fang. Besides, it'll be alright! We _can_ trust Lieutenant Amodar."

Fang huffs, finally loosening her grip on her lance. "Alright. Then I'm coming too."

"Fang?" Vanille asks somewhat warily, but Fang just shrugs at her.

"I can't let Serah go alone, 'Nille. Gotta make sure those military bunch treat her well," the huntress says with a slight sneer at Amodar. "Don't worry, at its worst we'll just have to recite our entire life story, I guess."

"Then I'm coming too—"

"Eh, nope. Someone's gotta take care of Light, right?"

"But—"

"Ah, come on! You kids!" Sazh cuts in right then, shaking his head tiredly. "Vanille, I think you and Hope should stay with Light. I'll go."

Vanille looks like she wants to protest, but Fang's reassuring nod silences her. "Well then… be careful."

"Hey, how about me? I wanna come along too!" Snow says.

Sazh just looks at him, probably weighing the risk of taking him along. Snow can be quite reckless with the things he says and does… just look at how he's brought Lieutenant Amodar over without a second's thought. Although we have technically saved Cocoon, there are still some details that are better left unsaid. We were fugitives before, after all. Not to mention we have practically bashed up half of Cocoon's military. All this considered, we'll definitely have to weigh what information to disclose. Sazh seems to be thinking of the same thing, for he shakes his head decisively.

"Nah, someone's got to stay behind to defend the fortress, Snow. The three of us should be enough to appease the military."

Snow looks disappointed, but doesn't protest. He just mutters 'alright.' With that settled, Sazh, Fang and I follow Lieutenant Amodar out of the room. Before we left, though, I glance at Lightning—she still seems to be asleep, despite a frown seems to crease the top part of her bandage.

* * *

><p>Lightning wakes up to a sudden cold pain in her crystalized shoulder. By now she has become kinda used to it; but the sudden jolt sometimes still manages to startle her. She lies motionless for a moment, wondering why the hell she can't see anything but darkness. The next second, though, she remembers the bandage covering her eyes.<p>

Sighing softly, Lightning closes her eye again. Oddly, she feels quite refreshed… it seems the long rest has finally helped. Even the usual pain in her crystalized body seems to have somewhat ebbed…

But despite this positive progress, Lightning feels her heart drop when she suddenly remembers something. She remembers sensing _something_ earlier…

_Something that made the room's atmosphere all tense._

At this remembrance, Lightning quickly sits up. What she first noticed was that somebody has brought her back to her room—the sheets her hands touched are clearly not the couch's material. The second thing she noticed was how loose her bandage is. Even as she sits still, she can feel it slowly sliding off.

Lightning sighs in annoyance, knowing that she must have unconsciously clawed on the bandages in her sleep. Unceremoniously, the soldier pulls the bandage off while shutting her left eye closed. She tries opening it—but immediately stops when a sharp pain shoots through. So the room's lights are on… darn, it means she can't open her eye at all.

Cursing softly under her breath, Lightning reaches blindly to her nightstand for the extra bandage Vanille has kept there. Once found, she tugs at the fresh strip of bandage in her hand to loosen its knot. It's tough doing it without seeing—her fingers keep fumbling and dropping the bandage. Frustration welling up, Lightning just yanks the final knot straight and presses the fabric to her eyes. All she needs to do is to get the darn thing around her head, tie it, then just be done with this entire troublesome business.

However, that's easier said than done.

She used to be able to blindfold herself easily—she has done it quite a few times during her training days in the GC, when the officers trained them in handicapped fighting. But this strip of bandage is way shorter than a blindfold, making it hard for Lightning to tighten and tie it on her own. Especially with her shoulder throbbing incessantly like this.

Growling softly, Lightning keeps struggling to fix the bandage. She's finally got it around her head, but now it's getting even harder to tie the ends together. For some reason her fingers can't find the other end—but when the increasingly-annoyed soldier tugs at the bandage in her effort to find it, she accidentally tugged too hard. The whole coil loosens again.

"Damn—"

Emitting a louder growl, Lightning uncoils the bandage and repeats the entire darned process from zero. This time she could wrap the bandage around her eyes faster, but now she's back to the problem of tying the ends together. But _again, _that elusive end disappears—

_This is ridiculous. _

That's done it. With frustration brimming, Lightning just blindly tugs at the bandage, struggling to get the two damn ends together—

—when she suddenly feels a smaller hand holding hers. Gently, it directs her hand to the other end of the bandage, the one she's been struggling like hell to catch. Without saying anything, Lightning ties the two ends together. The soldier then drops her hands to her sides, suppressing a sigh.

"You don't have to babysit me like a kid, y'know… Serah."

"I'm not babysitting a kid, Light, I'm trying to take care of my stubborn sister," comes the dry reply from her right. "Geez, you could've strangled someone with that strength you used on those bandages."

Lightning can't help a faint smirk at this.

"So how long have you been in here, watching me wrestling with that bandage?"

"Quite a while, but I was asleep. Only when you started moving about so much that I woke up."

"Well, thanks, I guess."

With that, Lightning swings her legs and in one fluid motion stands up without difficulty. Over these past few days, her balance has definitely improved to adjust to her degraded vision. She still feels uneasy walking around without seeing, but at least once Vanille takes off these bandages she'd be able to use her left eye again. Then the only problem left would be to adjust to using one eye…

Serah, meanwhile, seems to be quite happy to see her standing up so easily.

"Wow, look at you, Light! Feeling better already?"

Lightning smiles faintly when she realizes this. "Huh, yeah. I think the fever's gone."

"Well, that's great! You'll be running around again in no time!"

Lightning contentedly listens to Serah talking excitedly beside her, before she suddenly remembers that something had happened earlier.

"Hey—wait, Serah—what time is it now?"

"…Early evening—why?"

"This morning… when I was in the living room… did something happen? I thought I sensed something."

"Oh, right." Lightning hears her sister sighs. "Yes, I was about to tell you. Lieutenant Amodar visited this morning—he wanted to question you about the battle, but since you aren't in any condition to do so, Fang, Sazh and I went instead."

"You guys _what_?!"

* * *

><p>"Whoa, Light! You can move around already?!"<p>

That half-mocking-half-amazed shout from Fang greets her the moment Lightning enters the living room with Serah tailing behind. The soldier rolls her eye behind the bandage, despite knowing the—undoubtedly smirking—huntress can't see it.

"Oh, hi, Light! You look good; is the fever gone?"

Lightning turns her face towards the general direction of that high-pitched voice which undoubtedly belongs to Vanille.

"Yeah, finally."

"And the eye?"

A shrug. "Still the same."

"Oi Light, don't ignore me!"

Lightning huffs and turns towards where that protesting voice came from.

"Yeah, Fang, great to see you too."

"Don't lie, woman, you can't even see."

A guilty spurt of quickly-suppressed giggle from behind her tells Lightning that she just got totally owned. Feeling more annoyed than she should be, the soldier decides to ignore this irritating huntress whose distinct snicker is filling the room.

"Oh, hey! It's Lightnin'!"

"She's okay already?"

"Hi, Light!"

That sudden ruckus created by the three guys who just entered from the kitchen saves Lightning the trouble of having to retort Fang with a stinging comeback. She nods at the general direction of the clamor, a faint smirk on her lips. Whatever happened during the questioning, at least her friends are still all here. She wouldn't be too happy if she woke up and found some of them jailed in the GC HQ or something.

"You guys look—" Lightning started, but stops immediately when she hears Fang clearing her throat meaningfully—"Okay fine, shut _up_, Fang—you guys _sound_ good."

The chorus of laughter that fills the room in response to this is the first genuine one they've had ever since that final battle.

* * *

><p>"Alright, what exactly happened?"<p>

Lightning is sitting at the dining table, arms crossed, as she 'interrogates' Fang, Serah and Sazh regarding the questioning session they had. She was worried the military would treat her sister and friends badly, but it doesn't seem to be the case. The others are sitting down and listening as well, since Serah, Fang and Sazh haven't told them what happened either.

"Well, nothing much, yea? That Amodar boss of yours just brought us into this room filled with other uniformed idiots and one of 'em—after starting up some weird recorder gizmo—started asking us stuff. He wanted every detail, that creep—even details about how all of us initially met."

Lightning looks up in alarm at this. "Did they—did you tell them that you and Vanille were—"

"Pulse l'Cie? Yeah."

"No," Lightning hisses. "That you two were Ragnarok in the War of Transgression."

"Nope," Sazh immediately answers. From his voice, Lightning can guess that he is smiling. "This Fang over here, despite her attitude, she sometimes knows when to shut up—hey!"

"Say that again, old man, and I'll feed your chessmen to the nearest Behemoth I can find."

Lightning clicks her tongue loudly, ending the banter before it goes full blown.

"I share the sentiment, Sazh, but you can skip the preamble and start describing what actually happened."

Sazh chuckles, shifting his position. "Well, Fang just said she and Vanille were Pulse l'Cie. Then she let Serah and I explained the continuation… we told the military that the two of 'em were just some random l'Cie who joined the War of Transgression and accidentally got trapped in the Vestige as crystals when it got stranded near Bodhum. The military wouldn't guess that they were _the _l'Cie who were to turn into Ragnarok, don't worry."

"Weren't they asking about their Focus?"

"I told 'em neither me nor Vanille can remember what our Focus was," Fang answers this. "I just told them that all we could remember was waking up in that Vestige, five hundred years after the War. Which, strictly speaking, isn't completely a lie," Fang said in satisfaction. "See, I can be quite honest. I don't lie—I just give 'em bits of incomplete info."

"Right," Lightning says, a faint smirk on her lips.

At least that most-sensitive issue remains hidden... No matter what Fang and Vanille have done to save Cocoon during their final battle against Barthandelus, knowing that they played a key role in the War of Transgression would still make the military wary of them. And when they are wary… well, Lightning just wants to steer clear from their suspecting eyes. Also, she can predict that it'll be difficult enough for the Cocoon citizens to stop treating them, ex Pulse l'Cie, as enemies of Cocoon. They don't have to know that Fang and Vanille were the two Pulse l'Cie that wrecked that massive crack on Cocoon's outer shell five hundred years ago.

"The rest was fine, Light. We told them how we found out of Barthandelus's plan, how we retrieved Fafnir, and basically just everything that happened until that last battle. At which we just gave them the information we knew, but obviously it's not complete. Not without _your _side of the story," Serah's clear voice says.

"Okay." Lightning keeps quiet for a moment, pondering everything they just told her. When she's done, the soldier looks up.

"Alright. I guess it's time to fill each other in about that battle… because I'm sure none of us knows completely what happened back there."

A murmur of enthusiastic agreement welcomes her suggestion. Lightning's right—they have all entered that battle at different timings, and some of them even got knocked out for some time amidst all the fighting. Individually, their experience of the battle is like pieces of puzzle. Now it's time to consolidate them together.

* * *

><p>"Okay. So, who got into the battlefield first?"<p>

"Ooh, ooh! I think it was me!" Vanille answers cheerfully, waving her hand in the air. "I arrived first with my Adamantoise, Rainbow!"

Sazh groans at the memory. "Well, yeah. And then I arrived, smack right in front of that inappropriately-named overgrown turtle."

"Then yours truly came!"

"And then me… and last is Snow," Hope concludes.

Lightning can't help but smirk when she imagines just what kind of havoc her friends and their Pulsian creatures wrecked in that battlefield. Really, theirs wasn't a bad idea. Bringing in some Pulsian critters certainly helped a lot.

"And you guys were telling me… Barthandelus hid under the ravine?"

"Sure as hell he did, that cheater. Only when the battle was in his army's favor did he finally show his ugly face. _And _he's got some fancy wings on his back, like seriously, how the hell did he just spurt them on like that—"

"Alright, Fang, I can see you weren't exactly pleased when he emerged."

"Well yeah, of course I was pissed! The fighting ground at that time was damn messy, we couldn't even concentrate our attacks on Barthandelus. Those soldiers wouldn't stop bothering us... we were aiming to minimize damage on the army, y'see, even though that was Sazh's idea. And you haven't heard what happened next, with Bahamut and…"

And so Fang and the others fill Lightning and Serah in on whatever's happened before they arrived on the battlefield. The attack on Palumpolum, Barthandelus's disclosure of his despicable plan that was so fortunately happened to be recorded by a surviving watch beacon, and their effort along with the Shiva sisters and Alexander in protecting Palumpolum's rear sector.

Afterwards Lightning and Serah told them about how Barthandelus has set a Paling that blocked their exit from the Faultwarrens, and how they had to spend quite some time breaking the magic barrier. Afterwards they opened their portal to get to the battlefield, when they arrived just on time to stop Barthandelus from killing Vanille.

The story splits there—Serah went with Vanille to heal the others, with Hecatoncheir's help. Meanwhile, Lightning fought Barthandelus, during which she once got thrown all the way into Palumpolum's rear sector… where she found those two survivor girls looking for their parents.

"So you're telling me those two lassies were just loitering around the ruins? Alone, while the battle was still raging?" Fang asks, incredulous.

"Apparently so. But I think they just did it because they had no choice—their parents were missing, so I guess they just wanted to find them."

"Brave ones, those kids, albeit a little stupid—and stubborn! Ha, sounds like someone we know?" Fang asks, suggestively wiggling her eyebrow at Lightning while she can't see. We chuckle a little, when Vanille suddenly speaks up.

"Oh, wait—was that why you sent Odin to protect those kids while they look for their parents, Light?"

Lightning sighs. "I don't know… all I was thinking was that I couldn't just leave them there alone. They'll just wander off, no matter what I told them. And I definitely can't bring them with me, so… yeah."

"Do you think they've found their parents?" Hope asks quietly.

Upon this question, Lightning nods resolutely. "I believe so. I felt Odin disappear when I was fighting Barthandelus. That could only mean he has fulfilled his duty."

"Now that's good news. At least those kids are safe with their parents now," Snow grins.

"Well, what next?"

Now this is where Lightning gets into the unpleasant part of the story. The part where she returned from Palumpolum, only to be greeted by her own sister aiming her arrows at her. Lightning keeps quiet, wishing she could at least see so she can check Serah's expression. But she doesn't need to worry—her sister's strong, calm voice rings up from beside her.

"I've told them what happened, Light, so you can continue."

Secretly, Lightning huffs in relief. Although she definitely believes that whatever happened at those plains were not Serah's fault at all, she doesn't like talking about it. She fears for Serah, mostly—she doesn't want her sister to feel guilty over it anymore.

"So you guys know about how Serah… summoned Phoenix and all?"

"Yep. Everything," Fang answers, hissing out the last word to indicate that she wasn't pleased at all by how Barthandelus could control Serah to attack Light.

Lightning shrugs. She can skip that part then.

"Well, after that incident I went back to Pulse and looked for Barthandelus. When I found him he was all healed up, so we were even again. I'll elaborate on the fight later—I want to know what you guys did after Serah got back to you guys.

"We wanted to chase after you!" Snow says. "But we got stopped by that fal'Cie bird of Barthandelus's, what's it called—Nerva or something…"

"Mnerva," Hope corrected him. "It attacked us, Light, and we couldn't get away from it. So we had to fight it."

"And you guys won."

"Obviously!" Fang hollers. "But that's not all, yea? Unexpectedly, that damned bird had got one more ace up its sleeve—err, wing. Even as it burst into smithereens, it unleashed a Paling upon us!"

Lightning raises her eyebrow. Now this is the part of the story she has not heard.

"But Fang and I managed to dash away before the Paling closed, Light," Vanille's voice chirps. "The others told us to go, so we left and chased after you…"

"While we—with Brynhildr's help—struggled to break the Paling," Sazh finishes.

"The rest is all you know. Fang and Vanille caught up with you, followed by us. And you were… you were already…" Sazh makes a helpless gesture to indicate his right eye, but upon remembering that Lightning can't see him, he just blurts it out. "Half-crystalized."

"Right. So now it's your turn, Light—tell us _exactly _what happened, I've had enough of not knowing," Fang grunts.

Lightning sighs, looking down for a moment. Some of the details are a bit fuzzy to her, considering how badly she was injured during that fight. But the significant details are at least still fresh in her mind.

"Well…"

* * *

><p>Everyone keeps quiet after Lightning finishes her account on the fight. Some of the details were so crude and filled with despair that we couldn't help but feeling again the grim atmosphere of the battle, even now as we sit comfortably in the safety of the house. I can feel my hands tremble—I can't understand how Lightning managed to fight that long using Fafnir, especially after he demanded her blood in exchange for power.<p>

"So… that sword… Fafnir… was once a fal'Cie?"

"He said as much."

"And he devoured other fal'Cie, that's why Lindzei cursed him into a sword and sealed him in his temple?"

"Right."

"For thousands of years… geez, no wonder he's so blood-thirsty."

Lightning shrugs. From what the others told her, Serah has placed Fafnir in the storeroom where she kept her old weapons from her training days. After all that's happened with that fal'Cie sword, she feels slightly wary keeping it so near. It may have lost all its power after obliterating Barthandelus, but remembering its presence still sends a slight throb through Lightning's waist where she had cut herself with that cunning sword.

"Shouldn't we destroy it… or at least throw it away?" Sazh's unsettled voice rings out. "Damn, after knowing all this, I find it creepy that we still kept it."

"I don't think we can destroy it, old man," Fang says. "That sword was a fal'Cie—destroying it won't be easy."

"I think the best thing we can do is to seal him back in that temple," Vanille adds thoughtfully.

Lightning ponders it for a while, but finally gives in.

"Well, I don't see any better choice. I guess we'd have to make a trip to Gran Pulse one day, to settle our business once and for all with Fafnir."

"Oh, and that reminds me," Fang suddenly says with a snicker. "After that questioning session this morning, those military people _politely _thanked us. I was thinking they must be wanting something from us, and I was right!"

Lightning raises her eyebrow, and I quickly explain.

"Right, guys, we forgot to mention it just now. The military asked for our help… to return those monsters we brought for the battle back to Pulse."

Lightning smirks upon hearing this, while Vanille, Hope and Snow laugh.

"So they survive the battle? That's great!"

"I wonder where they were keeping your Adamantoise, Vanille."

"And ugh, that Ochu must be giving them a hell of a time. It belches rather frequently."

"Who asked you to choose him, Snow!"

Lightning leans back on her chair as she contentedly listens to her friends bickering and joking around. She feels… well, happy. After everything they've gone through, after all those close-calls and brushes against death, they've actually survived. Survived, to piece the tale together and see the effects of the changes they have brought upon by defeating Barthandelus. She feels Serah's hand on her arm—her sister must be thinking of the same thing. Lightning smiles faintly.

But although everything seems well right now… Lightning still finds herself thinking, with a slight pang of wistfulness, about…

Odin. And all of their Eidolons.

Sighing quietly, Lightning reaches into her pocket for Odin's Eidolith that she always carries with her, even up till now. Right after she woke up and learned that most of them have lost their l'Cie powers, she has checked on her Eidolith. To her dismay, she found that it has turned dull and colorless—as of the case with the others' Eidoliths. The soldier knew it then; they would never be able to summon their battle partners again.

…If only the Eidolons could be here with them to enjoy their hard-earned victory. This battle, if anything, has also been _their _battle. From what the others have told her, Lightning knows that the Eidolons have done their respective duties well during the fight.

Well, they might be gone now… but at least they went out with honor. Lightning can still remember them clearly: if they were somehow here to celebrate their ultimate victory, Bahamut would definitely be roaring proudly, the Shiva sisters flying around happily, and Brynhildr swinging her giant axe in satisfaction. Alexander and Hecatoncheir, the two quiet ones, would probably just fold their arms. Phoenix, Serah's newly-met battle partner, might just raise his fiery wings in victory. And Odin…

Odin, the stallion of thunder, her battle partner, would kick his front legs upwards to the sky, neighing in triumph.

* * *

><p>It's been an honor fighting alongside Odin. Ever since their initial intense battle in which Lightning proved worthy to be his master, Odin has repeatedly saved her life. He was her battle partner, steadfast and strong in the midst of any deadly battle. But now… well, he's gone.<p>

…Not being able to say a proper goodbye always hurts.

As Lightning holds Odin's Eidolith in her pocket, she settles her mind by thinking that at least the Eidolons must be proud knowing that they have protected their masters well.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hi again, guys :DD I hope this update isn't taking too long! I was trying to finish this chap before new year, but I failed ._. anyway, I just wanna wish everyone happy new year! And of course, thanks a bunch for the reviews ^^ I really appreciate all of 'em, it always makes my day whenever I read them. Just a few words to some people, though:

**fadedSorrow:** Hey, hi again :D thanks a lot for your review and the well wishes! I'm truly glad you like this fic ^^ It feels awesome to know I can make people go aawww, ehehe. And wow, I just realised you are from Singapore! No wonder you know about GP, lol. 'The dread of the students'... well, fortunately I can say I actually love GP lol. It's my favourite subject, so no worries about it being a hassle ;)

**Kirika**: long time no see! :,D Haha, of course I won't forget about this fic. I may take a long time to update, but still I'll do it ;) I'm just happy you still love this fic, lol. Thanks a lot for the review! And THATS RIGHT, we love you, Light~ *fangirl mode* Her stoic attitude may indeed be kinda frustrating at times, but I gotta say, it's kinda cool, no? :p

**mahoushoujocore**: Thank you so much for your kind words! Honestly, when I first started writing this fic, all I wanted to do was to present a grammatically-decent story... that's why I spend so much time proofreading every chapter for grammatical errors ^^" Now your compliment has made me feel so flattered, lol. Glad my efforts pay off, haha. So yeah, once again thank you for the review! :)


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